Gloucester Park review

Alta Engen is a bargain who went begging

Buyers at the 2018 APG Perth yearling sale missed a bargain when they overlooked a tall, gangling Alta Christiano colt, who attracted little attention and was passed in at $12,000 when he failed to reach his modest reserve price of $15,000.

Present at the sale was prominent breeder and owner Rob Tomlinson, who now has no regrets that he was persuaded by breeder Trevor Lindsay and his wife Colleen to purchase a share in the youngster who races as Alta Engen and is developing into one of the State’s most promising young pacers.

Alta Engen, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, gave further proof of his excellent potential when he set the pace and strolled to victory in the $50,000 group 2 Vale Bob Sweet San Simeon Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night. This took the four-year-old gelding’s record to 19 starts for 11 wins, four placings and $98,193 in stakes.

“I knew his family, but didn’t bid for him,” said Tomlinson. “I was reluctant to buy into him because he was so big. Eventually Trevor asked me to take a share in the youngster, and I agreed, and then I sold part of my share to Ross Waddell.

“Alta Engen is going great guns, but I’m not sure he is a Christas horse this year. I think he has a lot to learn and is still maturing. To pit him against more experienced horses could prove difficult. However, I think he will mature into a very nice horse.”

Alta Engen, the $1.50 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, gave his supporters little cause for concern as he was untroubled to set the pace after a moderate lead time of 37.1sec. After opening quarters of 30sec. and 29.9sec., Alta Engen dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.2sec. and 29sec. to win by 4m from Alta Intrigue, rating 1.56.5 over the 2130m.

Alta Intrigue, the second fancy at $7, fought on gamely after enjoying a perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position. Whatabro ($14) trailed the leader throughout and finished third.

Alta Engen is the third and final foal out of the Million To One mare Its Karma, who raced 46 times for six wins, eight placings and $37,710 in prizemoney. Its Karma’s dam Liberty Lombo produced 11 winners, including Baylan Jett, who has had 118 starts for 16 wins, 36 placings and $170,397.

Magnificent Storm overcomes setbacks

Aldo Cortopassi had a few anxious moments before driving Magnificent Storm to a stirring win in the $25,000 Blake Ashworth Memorial Marathon Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“It was a big effort to start off 40 metres and then to overcome a couple of setbacks,” said Cortopassi after the inexperienced and lightly-raced four-year-old had defeated The Tiger Army ($20) and Batavia On Fire ($41) in the gruelling 3309m event.

Magnificent Storm was the $1.50 favourite, and he was in trouble less than 150m after the start when frontmarker Middlepage broke into a gallop, forcing Cortopassi to take evasive action and lose a couple of lengths.

“It looked as though Middlepage was galloping in a straight line, and I wanted to give myself plenty of room to get around him,” said Cortopassi. “And then Middlepage ran up the track (forcing Magnificent Storm out about four wide).”

Nearis Green, a $23 chance, was first into stride from the No. 5 barrier on the front line, and the field of nine quickly settled down in Indian file, with Alta Blues, the second fancy at $7.50 off the 30m mark in eighth place, with Magnificent Storm bringing up the rear.

Gary Hall jnr moved Alta Blues off the pegs after a lap, and Cortopassi was quick to follow that pacer. There was no change in the order for the next two laps, with Nearis Green setting a strong tempo with the first three quarters of the final mile in 29.7sec., 28.4sec. and 28.7sec.

Alta Blues burst to the front with 500m to travel – and soon afterwards Magnificent Storm encountered another check when he locked wheels with Batavia On Fire as Chris Voak eased that pacer off the pegs.

“Chris quite legitimately came off the pegs with Batavia On Fire from behind the leader and we locked wheels,” said Cortopassi. “This broke Magnificent Storm’s momentum and I had to pull him back while Alta Blues had put a bit of space on us.”

However, Magnificent Storm recovered quickly and sprinted fast to charge past Alta Blues about 250m from home. Magnificent Storm was slowing down in the home straight but was able to hold out The Tiger Army, who finished strongly from sixth at the bell. Batavia On Fire was a nose away in third place, with Alta Blues a close fourth.

“Magnificent Storm was not comfortable after that incident, and he didn’t have a lot left (in the final stages). It wasn’t the perfect trip, but we got the job done,” said Cortopassi.

Trainer Ray Williams, who prepared Balleybofey for his win in the 2013 Marathon, was more than happy with Magnificent Storm’s victory (rating 2.09) and said that a decision would be made early in the following week whether the gelding would contest the August Cup next Friday night.

“He jumped a few hurdles for me tonight, and I reckon that was one of his best runs,” Williams said.

“The good thing was that even though he shied at the tapes and veered out at the start, he paced out. He had never been in a stand before or raced over that distance. He was out on his feet about 50 metres from home and he just kept on going.”

Magnificent Storm, a New Zealand-bred gelding by American Ideal, has already netted $224,137 in prizemoney from 14 wins and one second placing from 16 starts, and is destined for stardom.

No trouble for Minstrel

Up-and-coming star Minstrel easily withstood some early pressure from Perfect Major before romping to a commanding win over that pacer in the 2130m Walk4Blake For Brain Cancer Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Star reinsman Ryan Warwick was full of praise for the New Zealand-bred four-year-old Minstrel, saying: “He was as good as we thought he would be. It was the easiest run he’s had in this campaign.”

And regarding the perceived pressure from Perfect Major, Warwick said: “Not really, they weren’t quick quarters, and he has been running quicker quarters off handicaps (in stands). His win at Pinjarra first-up four starts earlier was with quick quarters. He might look deceiving in that he was copping pressure tonight, but that’s not the case.”

Minstrel, the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, certainly was not extended in winning by 5m from Perfect Major and rating 1.55.6 over the 2130m. After opening quarters of the final mile in 30.1sec. and 29.9sec. he dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 27.9sec.

This was Minstrel’s fifth win from five starts in his current campaign and he boasts a fine record of 23 starts for 13 wins, six placings and $268,274 in stakes. His 12 starts in WA for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond have produced nine wins and a second placing.

Alta Louisa does it tough

New Zealand-bred Art Major four-year-old Alta Louisa has inherited much of the ability of her dam Famous Alchemist, and she is destined for a successful career.

Trained in Boyanup by Justin Prentice, Alta Louisa, the $2.40 favourite, notched her sixth win from 12 starts and boosted her earnings to $43,592 when she had a tough run in the breeze before beating stablemate Bettor Get It On ($9) by a half-head in the 2130m Westral Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This was her second win at her second appearance after a spell, following her first-up success at Gloucester Park last Tuesday week when she raced without cover before defeating Stormyskyes.

Alta Louisa started from the No. 4 barrier and Cody Wallrodt was content to rate her in the breeze on the outside of the pacemaker My Sweet Deal ($5.50), with Bettor Get It On, driven by Gary Hall jnr, racing in sixth position in the one-wide line.

Alta Louisa finished powerfully, three wide, and just held off the strong-finishing Bettor Get It On, rating 1.57.4, with final quarters of 28.7sec. and 28.3sec.

“I was nominated for two drives at tonight’s meeting at Bunbury and was likely to get more drives,” Wallrodt said. “But I informed Justin that I was available to drive one of his fillies at Gloucester Park.

“I was pretty confident before tonight’s race, considering the way Alta Louisa went first-up, and her work at home during the week was pretty sharp. Hopefully, she doesn’t have to keep racing in the breeze. She is quite versatile and is quite quick.”

Alta Louisa is the first foal out of the Mach Three mare Famous Alchemist, who was retired after earning $322,869 from 16 wins and 16 placings from 51 starts. She had 34 starts in Western Australia for trainer Gary Hall snr for 11 wins, including the group 3 WASBA Breeders Stakes in May 2014.

Vespa not just a sit-sprinter

Five-year-old Vespa, an accomplished sit-sprinter in recent months, revealed his versatility when he gave a bold frontrunning display to score a decisive victory in the 2130m Catalano Truck And Equipment Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Vespa, fourth favourite at $6, was first out from barrier five, and after a lead time of 37.1sec. Shannon Suvaljko was able to get Vespa to coast through the opening quarters of the final mile in 31.7sec. and 29.5sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 28.4sec. to win by just over a length from $3.90 second fancy Queen Shenandoah, rating 1.57.1.

“The plan tonight was to come out hard and see what happens,” said trainer Michael Young. “We haven’t used him (out of the gate) for about 15 weeks, and we didn’t know how quick he would come out. He is not just a sit-sprinter, and I think before tonight he had led twice for me for a win and when he was just beaten by Boom Time.”

The New Zealand-bred Vespa thrives on racing and he has had 22 starts in the space of 21 weeks for Young, recording five wins and eight placings for stakes of $67,237. With four wins in New Zealand Vespa has a career record of 53 starts nine wins, 12 placings and stakes of $106,577.

Queen Shenandoah fought on solidly from sixth at the bell to be second to record her third successive placing. She will pay to follow.

Henwood Bay ends losing run of 12

Collie trainer Erol Ashcroft continues to produce Henwood Bay in fine fettle, and the tough WA-bred five-year-old ended a losing sequence of 12 when Deni Roberts landed him a strong winner over the $2.10 favourite Bettor Be Oscar in the 2536m Direct Trade Supply Pasce at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Henwood Bay started from barrier two on the back line and Roberts gave the gelding a perfect trip in the one-out, one-back position before he burst to the front about 450m from home.

Bettor Be Oscar, who raced wide from barrier four in the early stages before getting to the front after 500m, was swamped by Henwood Bay and was trailing by more than a length before he rallied under strong driving from Aiden De Campo. The two pacers then fought out a spirited duel over the final 300m, with Henwood Bay prevailing by a narrow margin.

Henwood Bay has been a reliable moneyspinner for his connections and now has earned $128,135 from 17 wins and 28 placings from 98 starts.

Dontbesillychilli rattles home

Bunbury trainer Sarah Wall has Dontbesillychilli racing with great enthusiasm, and the two-year-old filly impressed when she unleashed a powerful finishing burst to win the 1730m Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Driven for the first time by Dylan Egerton-Green, Dontbesillychilli, fourth favourite at $5.50, was restrained to the rear after starting from barrier seven in the field of eight while Never Forget Adda ($3.90) was setting the pace and the $2.65 favourite Wall Street Girl susceptible after racing three wide early and then in the breeze.

Dontbesillychilli was sixth with 400m to travel before Egerton-Green sent her forward, three wide, and she finished fast to burst to the front in the final 40m and dashed away to beat the tiring Wall Street Girl by a length at a 1.57.7 rate.

Wall had mixed emotions after the race, with her other runner Make Your Mark, a $3.90 chance, failing to complete the course after breaking badly in the mobile score-up.

Dontbesillychilli, a filly by American sire Western Terror, has had ten starts for three wins and three placings for stakes of $37,001.

See Ya Write cuts it fine

See Ya Write is a handy young pacer, but he lacks the killer instinct.

He was second favourite at $2.90 in the 2130m Westside Auto Wholesale Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he prevailed narrowly when five horses crossed the finishing line with very little separating them.

He gained the verdict, out four wide, by a half neck from the fast-finishing Al Guerrero ($31), with a nose back in third place to $26 chance Shadow Roll, who charged home out five wide.

After starting from barrier three, See Ya Write, prepared by Greg and Skye Bond, raced in the breeze for the first 400m before enjoying an ideal trip in the one-out, one-back position, with the $2.20 favourite Triroyale Brigade setting the pace from Major Stare in the breeze.

See Ya Write started a three-wide move 250m from home and he finished solidly out four wide to get to the front in the final stages.

“He was going to run straight past them,” said star reinsman Ryan Warwick. “He races with the Murphy blind on the near side, and tonight he ran past them and thought his job was done. It wasn’t until Shadow Roll got outside of him that he started to get going again.

“He did the same when Deni (Roberts) won the Higgins Memorial with him. He has always raced with the Murphy. I think that if we take the patch off the Murphy so he can see the other horses, he will run straight past them and keep going.”

After easy opening quarters of 31.2sec. and 29.8sec. the final 400m sections were covered in 28.5sec. and 28.8sec. and See Ya Write rated 1.57.8. The Sportswriter gelding has raced 24 times for nine wins and nine placings. He has had 13 starts in Western Australia for five wins and five seconds.

Suvaljko’s Machnificent plan

Shannon Suvaljko’s daring plan to restrain Machnificent from the outside barrier and to take short cuts in the TABtouch Better Your Bet Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night worked out perfectly.

Machnificent, trained by Katja Warwick, was a $12.20 chance from the outside barrier in the field of eight, and Suvaljko’s gamble paid handsome dividends.

After being restrained at the start, Machnificent darted through on the inside to settle down in third place before he raced in fifth position, three back on the pegs. He was still fifth with 400m to travel before Suvaljko eased him into the clear, and the three-year-old colt sprinted fast to burst to the front 50m from the post on the way to winning by a half-length from Talks Up A Storm, with the $2.80 favourite and pacemaker Arma Einstein wilting to finish third.

“That was the plan, to go back at the start and to get three back on the rail,” said Suvaljko. “I grabbed him up real quick and then dived through and took the punt to get there (three back) before the others.

“He is a pretty relaxed horse, and I was able to get a good spot early. And it worked out perfectly. He can’t get around the bottom corner too good, out wide, so I had to wait and wait — and then when he gets out, he’s really, really quick. He is a very fast horse and there’s not many horses who can go with him.”

Machnificent, a colt by Mach Three, is out of the Northern Luck mare Honorable Daughter, who was unplaced at her six starts in 2010 before being retired. Machnificent now has earned $70,143 from seven wins and nine placings from 27 starts.

Davies back in winners’ circle

Kiara Davies, who has bravely won a year-long battle with breast cancer, was back in the winners’ circle at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she prepared Medieval Man for his victory in the 2536m Garrard’s Horse And Hound Pace.

The 31-year-old Davies has just resumed as a trainer and Medieval Man was having his third start after a spell. This was her first training success since Medieval Man won at Pinjarra on March 2 last year, just three weeks before she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Everything is good and I’m all clear,” she said. “My last chemotherapy was at the end of last August and my last surgery was last December.”

Davies races the four-year-old Medieval Man in partnership with her father Graeme (who bred the gelding) and her elder sister Patrice, and the pacer has shown plenty of promise, with his 56 starts producing 11 wins, 13 placings and $80,244 in prizemoney.

Medieval Man was a $10.50 chance from barrier five, and Emily Suvaljko dashed him forward, three wide, from the start to move to the breeze after 500m, with the $2.35 favourite Lord Rosco setting the pace.

Medieval Man looked beaten when he suddenly dropped back about 400m from home. But he fought back soon afterwards to put pressure on Lord Rosco before getting to the front in the final few strides to win by a half neck from $16 chance Carrera Mach, who was eleventh with two laps to travel and then sustained a spirited three-wide burst from sixth at the bell. Lord Rosco, racing first-up, held on to be third, just ahead of Pierre Whitby.

Davies explained it was typical of Medieval Man that he dropped back in the back straight in the final circuit, saying: “That’s the horse; he drops the bit and then picks it up again. He’s not very big but loves to run. He loves his work and just cruises around in the sand. The harder you work him, the better he goes.”