The Central Wheatbelt review – August 27

Another great weekend of pacing action at the Central Wheatbelt, with an eight-race harness racing card at Kellerberrin on Sunday (Aug 27) providing plenty to celebrate for both the locals and the out of towners venturing to the regional track.

The first on the card was a sentimental one for Colin Brown, with the win on board Relatively Arma (Renaissance Man), marking the end of a very successful career in the cart for the 64-year-old.

With a less than memorable career with the dam Arma Fifty Five, the connections weren’t willing to front much for a stallion to put her to, and with a $1000 investment to locally stood stallion Renaissance Man, that decision paying them in dividends.

The cross of Renaissance man and Arma Fifty Five has since produced Fifty Five Reborn and Arma Einstein, with the pair combining over $550,000 in stakes (not including WA bonuses they accumulated in their two and three-year-old seasons), with Brown hopeful their little sister has what it takes to keep the family success going.

“The first two are the most placid, lovely horses I’ve had, easy to train,

“The third ones been a bit of a sassy *****, she’s two, but she’s coming around now,

“Once upon a time we used to think if they were late bloomers, they were late bloomers at three and four, now we’re thinking their late bloomers at the end of their two-year-old prep,

“I had an opinion early on, I thought she was at least as good as the other two, as I said, she sort of lost her way a little bit, but I think she’s turned the corner now, I think she’s probably another prep away from stepping up.”

The Anderson-Wheeler combination has had plenty of success this season, with Sunday no exception with the pair taking out race two on the card, with three-year-old maiden Arkamara Star (Follow The Stars) breaking through for her first win after 28 attempts.

ARKARAMA STAR REPLAY

The daughter of former local stallion Follow The Stars was able to come from behind in the second on the card, coming out on top over the 1730m sprint trip to win by a 4.8m margin in 1:59:9.

You would be hard pressed to find a happier winning owner, breeder, and trainer on the day than John Fagg who was successful in the third on the card with three-year-old Sanford Bard (Highview Tommy) who brought up his second career win at start 29.  Doing plenty of work in the finish, Kyle Harper put the gelding three wide late, with the pair sailing home to win by 2.1m in 2:02:7 over the 1730m journey. Fagg had the two runners engaged on the day, with Highly Flammable finishing in third place later in the day in race 6.

The locals will claim her as their own, with the fourth on the card going the way of Brewery Lane (Rock N Roll Heaven) for Maryann White. The second win of his driving double on the day, Kyle Harper was able to lead all the way on the nine-year-old, winning impressively by 18m over the 2130m trip in 1:59:0, giving the gelding his 10th career victory at start 108.

It was a good day out for another semi-local, with Lang Inwood taking out two races on the day, the first in race five with Dazzling Jewel (Art Major) getting up for favourite punters at $2 odds.  Working their way to the lead, Shannon Suvaljko managed to dictate terms over the 2130m trip, with the four-year-old bringing up her fourth for the stable in 16 starts.

Inwood and Suvaljko didn’t have long to wait for their next win, making it a race-to-race double after taking out race six with the tough as nails, Tux And Tails (A Rocknroll Dance). With 13 wins under his belt, he always continues to find plenty heading to the line, with Sundays win no different for the six-year-old, holding on to win by a margin of 1.1m in 2:00:7.

It was a Suvaljko victory in race seven, but this time it was Callans turn with the trainer/driver coming out on top with The Dark Night (A Rocknroll Dance). Bred by Suvaljko, the four-year-old brought up his fourth career win at his 38th appearance after sitting in the breeze for the entire 1730m, coming out with a narrow half head margin on the line in 2:01:0.

Hayden’s maidens made him wait for a win, with the out-of-town trainer taking first, second and third spots in the last on the card, the 4YO and older maiden over the 2130m. At start 37, it was Bardan Kid’s day, with the four-year-old leading all the way, getting away with as much as he could, with the first half in 67.4 and over all winning mile rate of 2:07:4.

The win gave Trent Wheeler a driving double on the day, with Bardan Kid coming out on top over stablemates Star Of Kaos and Seven Million More with a margin 4.9m.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ashleigh Paikos, for RWWA