Gloucester Park review

Champion harness racing reinsman Chris Lewis remained cool in a crisis and weaved his magic to extricate Born To Boogie from two seemingly hopeless positions in the final circuit and land the brilliant six-year-old mare a dashing winner of the $50,000 Cowden Limited The Insurance Brokers Norms Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The victory completed a marvellous week for owners Merv and Meg Butterworth, who celebrated their greatest success in harness racing on Tuesday when their outstanding four-year-old Copy That set the pace and won the $631,000 New Zealand Cup at Addington.

“Merv and Meg are absolutely delighted at Born To Boogie’s performance,” said eight-time WA premiership trainer Ross Olivieri, who added that the WA-born Victorian resident Merv Butterworth was still keen to send Copy That to Perth to contest the $300,000 Fremantle Cup on January 21 and the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on February 4.

“Copy That will be here for the Cups provided that the Covid restrictions are lifted to enable Copy That’s New Zealand trainer Ray Green to travel to WA. Merv wants Copy That to come over and try to win the Pacing Cup; he’s a WA person.

“The trip is still in the pipeline and if it can be done, it will be done. But things would have to change, with the Covid situation still a major obstacle.”

Lewis, who brought the Ross Olivieri-trained six-year-old Sensational Gabby home with a powerful three-wide burst from ninth at the bell to win the 1730m Norms Daughter Classic from Libertybelle Midfrew in November 2014, said he had some anxious moments before getting Born To Boogie in the clear in Friday night’s group 2 2130m event for mares.

“No. 10 (inside of the back line) was not the ideal draw, but things worked out,” Lewis said.

The polemarker Wainui Creek, the second fancy at $2.65, set the pace after resisting a spirited early challenge from Fifty Five Reborn, and then was kept busy when Gary Hall jnr dashed Balcatherine ($5) into the breeze 700m after the start.

“It was a close thing for Born To Boogie,” said Olivieri. “It was difficult for Chris to get off (the pegs). She was bolting, and it was just a matter of getting off. But after Chris had eased Born To Boogie off the inside at the 700m, she was still in a pocket before he was able to switch her three wide, and she had only the length of the straight to run Wainui Creek and Balcatherine down.”

Lewis made his winning move at the 700m when he legitimately eased Born To Boogie off the inside and forced Fifty Five Reborn (Colin Brown) out three wide.

Born To Boogie, the $2.60 favourite, who then followed Balcatherine in the one-wide line, was still badly hemmed in and blocked for a run, with Fifty Five Reborn out three wide and keeping Born To Boogie in a pocket. But when Fifty Five Reborn began to wilt 230m from home, Lewis seized the opportunity to switch Born To Boogie three wide and into the clear.

She sprinted fast, hit the front with 110m to travel and won by just under a half-length from Balcatherine (who ran on with great determination), with Wainui Creek a nose back in third place. The final quarters (off the front) were covered in 28.7sec. and 28sec. and Born To Boogie rated 1.56.9.

Born To Boogie, who raced 26 times in New Zealand for five wins and ten placings, has flourished under Olivieri’s care, with her nine WA starts producing seven wins and two seconds. “Lewis said that Born To Boogie was bolting for most of the way and that they were actually going too slow for her,” said Olivieri.

By American sire Rock N Roll Heaven, Born To Boogie is the fifth foal out of the unraced New Zealand Badlands Hanover mare Niftey Franco. She is now on target to contest the $125,000 Westral Mares Classic next Friday week.

“Born To Boogie was a good mare in New Zealand where she had a few little issues, and she came over here with them,” said Olivieri. “Racing every two weeks is ideal for her and the extra distance of 2536m in the Mares Classic is not a concern.”

Olivieri paid tribute to his wife Jemma, a qualified veterinarian, who had cured Born To Boogie’s problems.

Free Wheeling is Oaks bound

Cardup trainer Craig Abercromby is delighted with WA-bred two-year-old filly Free Wheeling’s potential and the way she is racing, and he is looking forward keenly to her running in the WA Oaks next year.

“She is showing every sign of developing into an Oaks runner,” said Abercromby, who races the American Ideal filly in partnership with her breeder Pat Gilroy.

“I’m not sure when the Oaks will be run, but we will be setting her for that race.”

Free Wheeling, the $3.40 favourite, notched her fourth win from eight starts when she scored a comfortable victory over Follow The Ark ($7) and Jay Elle ($4.80) in the 2130m Cowden Limited Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Aldo Cortopassi, who celebrated his 45TH birthday last Wednesday, drove Free Wheeling with great confidence. Polemarker Follow The Ark was smartest to begin, but Cortopassi made his intentions perfectly clear when he urged Free Wheeling forward from barrier five, and the filly raced three wide for the first 300m before surging to the front soon afterwards.

After a slow 39.1sec. lead time, Free Wheeling was able to coast through the first two quarters of the final mile in 31.7sec. and 30.4sec. before the filly gave a sample of her class by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.3sec. She won at a 1.59.4 rate by just under a length from Follow The Ark, with Jay Elle 5m farther back in third place after working in the breeze over the final 1200m.

Free Wheeling is the third foal out of the unraced Art Major mare Le Chambon, whose first foals Marquisard and Dissertation have performed in fine style for Abercromby and Gilroy. Marquisard has raced 107 times for 17 wins, 14 placings and stakes of $149,107, with Dissertation earning $36,984 from his five wins and eight placings from 32 starts.

Stampalias make a wise choice

Bullsbrook trainer-reinsman Brad Stampalia and his father Peter admired the natural speed and ability of Zennart in his races for trainer Gary Hall snr a few years ago, and they jumped at the opportunity to purchase his close relation and unraced two-year-old from Melbourne in 2019.

The New Zealand-bred youngster named Harley Zest has proved an excellent buy for Peter Stampalia, his sons Brad and Gavin and their friend Mark Egan.

Harley Zest gave a strong frontrunning display to win the 2130m Cowden Ltd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Brad Stampalia took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier with the $1.50 favourite.

Harley Zest fought on determinedly to beat the $3.30 second fancy Bettor Get It On by a metre, rating 1.56.9 to take his record to 39 starts for five wins, nine seconds, five thirds and stakes of $50,255.

“A couple of years ago Dad saw an advertisement on Trading Ring, with the breeder offering the youngster, a three-quarter brother to Zennart, for $15,000,” said Brad Stampalia.

“Dad suggested we look into it, and I rang the breeder in Melbourne. He sent me a video of the pacer in his work, and I liked the way he moved. So, we bought him.”

Now a four-year-old, Harley Zest, a gelding by Art Major, is showing some of the ability of Zennart, who has earned $173,612 from 15 wins and seven placings from 44 starts. Zennart had 29 starts in WA for ten wins and five placings before continuing his career in New South Wales.

Zennart’s half-sister Zest Philly (the dam of Harley Zest) managed only one win and $7217 from 15 starts before being retired to stud.

Harley Zest did not race as a two-year-old, and he is now showing signs of developing into a consistent performer. “I think he has a good future,” said the 48-year-old Brad Stampalia, who owns a trucking business.

Stampalia is also training Ideal Extra (five wins) and The Rock Inn (four wins) and he is looking forward to further successes with the lightly-raced half-brothers who are out of the New South Wales-bred mare Spare Me, who was an excellent performer for the trainer-driver, earning $100,051 from ten wins and ten placings from 56 starts. Spare Me’s notable successes were in the Consolation of the WA Oaks in May 2008 and the $35,000 group 3 Mares Mile in December 2008.

Brown steals a march

Talented young driver Maddison Brown continued her excellent association with the Justin Prentice-trained pacer Back In Twenty when she was rewarded for her aggression by guiding the five-year-old to an effortless victory in the 2130m Cowden Ltd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

There was plenty of pre-race discussion of how the perceived match race between Back In Twenty (barrier four) and Roman Art (barrier two) would pan out, with many punters convinced that the Victor Bryers-trained Roman Art, a noted frontrunner, would be capable of setting the pace by virtue of his more favourable barrier.

However, Brown had other ideas and she stole an important march by getting Back In Twenty away brilliantly to burst straight to the front, leaving Roman Art, the $2.15 favourite, in the breeze.

Punters who supported Back In Twenty were overjoyed at his extremely generous tote price of $4.30 — after he had put up such a strong performance a week earlier when he raced three back on the pegs and finished strongly to be third to outstanding Cup-class pacers Galactic Star and Mighty Conqueror.

“Back In Twenty follows speed really well and he went well last week,” said Brown. “But tonight, the plan was to go forward and try to lead. And he was able to lead, easily. He is a totally different horse in front.” Brown has developed a good association with Back In Twenty, having driven him 16 times for five wins and three placings.

Back In Twenty, bred and owned by Bob Fowler, has been a good, consistent performer who has raced 71 times for 14 wins, 17 placings and stakes of $147,206. He is by American stallion Sportswriter and is the first foal out of Northern Luck mare Aristocratic Glow (44 starts for nine wins, 13 placings and $74,756).

Aristocratic Glow’s second foal Aristocratic Star has had 28 starts for five wins, 11 placings and $102,703. As a two-year-old he finished second to Manning in the group 1 Pearl Classic and second to Major Martini in the group 1 Westbred Classic.

Aristocratic Glow’s dam Arctic Glow produced seven other winners, including Amongst Royalty (86 starts for 23 wins, 27 placings and $570,820) and Chazsalico (135 starts for 20 wins, 31 placings and $141,515) and Arctic Glow’s dam Broncroft Castle’s eight winners included the brilliant Mon Poppy Day (50 starts for 20 wins, 16 placings and $318,558).

The Kraken breaks through

Star reinsman Gary Hall jnr enjoyed happy memories of driving Before Night Falls to victories in the Western Crown Classic and Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies in 2008 when he guided The Kraken to an easy all-the-way victory in the 2130m Cowden Ltd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Kraken, a five-year-old by Art Major, is the fifth foal out of Before Night Falls, who earned $169,279 from 12 wins and eight placings from 38 starts.

The big gelding, trained at Coolup by Phil Costello, has been plagued by bad barriers, and his win from the coveted No. 1 barrier on Friday night ended a losing sequence of 18 and a 12-month drought.

“Leading is his best asset, and we’ve been praying for a good barrier,” said Costello. “Sitting up, he’s not a genuine horse, but in front he is.”

The Kraken, who has earned $122,298 from 12 wins and 25 placings from 71 starts, has always shown signs of his ability, with Costello pointing to his close third behind Fifty Five Reborn and Alta Blues in the group 3 Kerry Clarke Four and Five-Year-Old Classic and his fifth behind Gambit and Vespa in the Chandon Pace in July this year.

The Kraken’s full-sister Soho New York had 27 starts for ten wins, four placings and $65,710 in stakes, with her best performance her third placing behind Straighttothehilton in the group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2014.

The Kraken was favourite at $1.80 from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night when he set the pace and won by four lengths at a 1.58.3 rate from $126 outsider Bettys Lass, who finished gamely after racing three back on the pegs.

Costello is now looking forward to his stable star Vultan Tin resuming racing after a spell, saying that the veteran of 189 starts was working in fine style and would return to action in about five weeks and was on target to contest the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups early next year.

Vultan Tin, who has amassed $949,758 in prizemoney, won the WA Pacing Cup last December, and in March this year he won the group 2 Pinjarra Cup and the group 3 Narrogin Cup.

A formidable combination

Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey and young driver Emily Suvaljko are proving to be one of the most formidable combinations in WA harness racing, and they were to the forefront again at Gloucester Park on Friday night when they notched a double in successive races.

First, the Victorian-bred Leosabi revealed plenty of strength in winning the sixth event, and then Walsh was untroubled to score an all-the-way victory 30 minutes later.

Turvey is in third place in the WA trainers’ premiership with 70 wins (behind Greg and Skye Bond with 157 wins and Gary Hall snr with 108 wins), while the 21-year-old Suvaljko is enjoying a magnificent season, with her 145 winners placing her in third spot in the drivers’ premiership table, behind Gary Hall jnr (201 wins) and Chris Voak (147).

Leosabi, a four-year-old Art Major gelding, was second favourite at $3.40 from out wide at barrier seven, and he was in tenth position with two laps to travel in the 2536m event before Suvaljko put him into the race by dashing him forward and into the breeze outside the pacemaker and $2.50 favourite Pradason at the 1200m mark.

Henrik Larsson ($7.50) was last in the field of eleven before Gary Hall jnr sent him forward, out three wide, approaching the bell. Henrik Larsson then took a slender lead 270m from home before Leosabi gained the upper hand on the home turn and went on to win by a half-length from the fast-finishing $61 chance Our Burling, rating 1.58.9.

This improved Leosabi’s record in WA to six wins and three seconds from 12 starts. He won three times in Victoria and now has a record of 40 starts for nine wins, 16 placings and stakes of $67,071.

“He has done a really good job since he has been here,” said Turvey. “He can race tough and has a good turn of foot as well. I think he will continue to be a good earner, even going up a grade, because he is adaptable.”

It proved to be a stroll in the park for Walsh, the $1.20 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier. Suvaljko sent the WA-bred Art Major five-year-old straight to the front and he travelled well with $11 chance Major Stare in the breeze, and $9 chance Bettor Be Lively enjoying the trail behind the pacemaker.

Walsh went to win from Bettor be Lively, with Jesse Allwood ($26) finishing strongly from three back on the pegs to be third.

“Walsh had drawn out wide at his previous four starts (when unplaced), and drawing No. 1 tonight made all the difference,” said Turvey. Walsh has been a handy performer, with his 91 starts producing 14 wins, 24 placings and stakes of $146,583.

Turvey and Suvaljko continued their remarkable run of success when they combined to win with $1.04 favourite Rockin Rufus, who beat Sheza Bromac by 31 metres at Narrogin on Saturday night.

Suvaljko also won with the Shane Quadrio-trained Silver Star Lombo, while, not be outdone, her father Shannon landed four winners on the seven-event program at Narrogin, scoring with Sun And Sand ($26), Just Like Turbo ($7), Gee Smith ($4.60) and The Wildcard ($2.15). It was Chris Lewis who foiled a Suvaljko family clean sweep by winning the third event with the Barry Howlett-trained Three Rumours.

Hampton Banner on the way up

“He’s on the way up,” declared champion reinsman Chris Lewis after driving Hampton Banner to an impressive all-the-way victory over the talented but enigmatic star Wildwest in the 2130m Cowden Ltd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This brought up Hampton Banner’s sixth win in a row and took his record to nine wins and two placings from 19 starts for stakes of $99,937.

Hampton Banner, prepared by Lewis’s wife Debra, was the $3 second fancy, with Wildwest, like Hampton Banner making his second appearance after a spell, the $2.40 favourite.

Hampton Banner started from the No. 2 barrier and Lewis sent him to the front after 50m, with $101 outsider Gotta Go Gabbana dashing forward from the outside barrier (No. 9) into the breeze, and Wildwest securing the perfect one-out, one-back trail.

Gary Hall jnr sent Wildwest forward, three wide, at the 550m and the lightly-raced five-year-old was fourth on the home turn before surging strongly, out five wide, to finish a neck behind the winner, who rated 1.55.6 after final 400m sections of 28.1sec. and 28.7sec.

“He has improved on his previous run, and has got plenty of guts,” said Lewis. “He has had a lot of work under his belt, and if there is a suitable race next Friday. He might go round.”

Twenty-five minutes after Hampton Banner’s victory, Lewis completed a double by winning the Norms Daughter Classic with Born To Boogie. The following afternoon Lewis travelled to Narrogin where he drove the Barry Howlett-trained three-year-old filly Three Rumours to victory.

Finvarra’s confidence is boosted

Classy colt Finvarra will derive great benefit from his upset victory over star stablemate Jumpingjackmac in a 2130m event for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night, according to reinsman Callan Suvaljko.

“He is a horse who will keep improving and is ready to take the next step,” said Suvaljko, who declared that Finvarra is the best three-year-old he has driven.

“He is a confidence horse and will take a heap out of the win. Jumpingjackmac is the best three-year-old here, and Finvarra has just beaten him. I drove Finvarra in a trial at Byford last month (when he dashed over the final 400m in 27.1sec. and won by 15 lengths) and I said to senior (trainer Gary Hall snr) he’s a superstar. The Golden Nugget next year probably will be the long-term goal for him.”

Dominus Factum ($21) dashed to the front 350m after the start of Friday night’s race, and immediately Suvaljko sent Finvarra, the $4.40 second fancy from barrier eight, forward with a three-wide burst which carried him to the front after a lap. His run was followed by Jumpingjackmac, the $1.30 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9), who quickly moved to the breeze.

Finvarra gave his rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 27.7sec., and he won at a 1.55.9 rate by just under a length from the gallant Jumpingjackmac, who lost no admirers with his gutsy effort. Star Of Willoughby ($21) impressed in finishing powerfully from last at the 220m to be a distant third, a nose ahead of Dominus Factum.

While Finvarra is still gaining experience, Hall is confident he will go from strength to strength and will be ready to tackle the Fremantle Cup on January 21 and the WA Pacing Cup on February 4.

Suvaljko explained that he considered that Jumpingjackmac would take plenty of beating, but he seized the opportunity to take Finvarra to the front after a lap.

“I decided to take off three wide early when Jumpingjackmac was behind me,” he said. “I thought he (Jumpingjackmac) would have been closer, and I kept rolling forward. Once the speed was on early and with Jumpingjackmac behind us, I thought I had to keep rolling so that Jack didn’t come and put the pressure on.”

Finvarra, a colt by American Ideal, is the first foal out of former talented mare Nuala, and he now has earned $115,891 from seven wins and two placings from ten starts.

Papinik sizzles on his return

Lightly-raced WA-bred five-year-old Papinik thrilled excited spectators at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he unleashed an explosive finishing burst to snatch a last-stride victory over the pacemaker Rockaball in a 2536m event.

The Advance Attack gelding, resuming after a six-month absence and favourite at $2.60, appeared to have no chance when he was sixth and following a three-wide burst by Euphoria with 270m to travel. He was still sixth and out four wide, on the home bend before he flew home to gain the verdict by a head.

Rockaball, a $4.80 chance, dashed over the final 400m in 27.9sec. (after a third quarter of 27.8sec.) and trainer Ross Olivieri and reinsman Chris Voak agreed that Papinik would have covered the final 400m in a fraction under 27sec.

“He is probably the fastest horse, point-to-point, that I’ve ever had,” said Olivieri. “He’s very fast and is the poor man’s Im Themightyquinn.

“He also has had problems, even some that we didn’t realise he had. He is now problem-free, and I think that his trials and his run tonight show what he can do when he is not carrying a bit of soreness in his feet and soreness in the knees. The owners, to their credit, have been very patient.

“We found a few things he had during his previous preparation, issues that we didn’t discover until after that prep. Now he is carrying a longer hopple and a longer head check and is more sound. We might even have a tilt at a decent race somewhere along the line.

“I reckon he went under 27sec. for the final quarter. He was off the track and made up about four lengths. On the home turn, I thought he could run a place, but would be unable to catch the leader.”

Olivieri was quick to applaud the work of his stable staff in helping to get Papinik back to full fitness. “I have to pay tribute to the extreme efforts of the people who work with me, in particular my wife Jemma, who found something in the horse’s shoeing.

“She wanted to shoe Papinik in a different way. So, we did, and it worked.”

Papinik is the ninth foal out of Artists Impression, who also produced Heez On Fire, who raced 52 times for 20 wins, eight placings and $287,607 in prizemoney. Papinik’s 15 starts have resulted in ten wins and four placings for stakes of $67,961.

By Ken Casellas for Gloucester Park