Vic Cup claims for WA pacing sensation

After 18 months of limited interstate and Kiwi raids because of COVID-19, having a serious new buzz horse come across and take on the best from the eastern states in a serious Group 1 feature will be a real treat.

Shockwave has it all and he’s poised to dominate his own patch judging by last Friday’s stellar comeback win, but is he more than just a big fish in a little pond? Time will tell.

I like what I see and I have for 12 months. That bleed he had after the Fremantle Cup last November may have been a blessing in disguise. He looks to have returned a more mature, settled and complete package than he was last campaign.

Trainer Ryan Bell said as much: “We always drove him to look after him a bit last campaign because it was his first in the big league, but he’s ready to do more now. We can drive him like the best horse. We’ll go to the races confident every time.”

If you didn’t see last Friday’s comeback win, take a look. The times, the margins, the ease, the arrogance … all super exciting.

Bell and owner Kevin Jeavons have wanted to travel Shockwave for 18 months. They’ve had flights booked twice, only for setbacks to thwart plans.

So there’s a big itch to scratch and Victoria is the first port of call.

“We’ll probably head over early for a lead-up race or two and then the Victoria Cup,” Bell said. “Now I know the Freo and WA Cups are back to January, we’ll probably go from Victoria up to Sydney for the Inter Dominion. We’ve got a month after the Inter Dominion before the big races back home.”

The doubters will be there, for some bizarre reason lots of eastern-staters always query WA form. I say bizarre, because WA’s record of unearthing stars who have performed on the biggest stage away from home is enviable. In the past decade, think Im Themightyquinn, Washakie, King Of Swing and Soho Tribeca.

The stars came out to play at Albion Park on Saturday night, but there weren’t any of the fireworks we hoped for.

We certainly didn’t learn anything we didn’t already know about the biggest names in King Of Swing and Expensive Ego.

King Of Swing was crossed at the start as expected by Turn It Up, moved around to “retake” the front, dawdled through a 61.6s middle half and even a 29.1s 800-400m split then won as he liked. They’ll go at least four seconds faster in the Blacks A Fake than his 1:58 mile rate for the same trip (2680m) last Saturday.

Still, he’s got two runs (wins) under his belt now. He’ll probably have one more run – maybe in the Wondais Mate on July 3 – before his first big target, the $100,000 Group 1 Sunshine Sprint on July 17.

What about former Kiwi star Spankem? He’s now had two “proper” runs for new trainer Darren Weeks and did enough when third to King Of Swing the other night. It was a pass mark, but nothing more.

But the race was somewhat of a farce, so it’s hard to draw any firm conclusions from it.

Expensive Ego jogged in, but so he should, given he’s a Miracle Mile runner-up, Chariots Of Fire winner and the most exciting pacer in the land.

Like King Of Swing, Luke McCarthy seemed content to get a win and run in the bank rather than ask anything much from Expensive Ego.

It was his first run for seven weeks and connections have the option of another lead-up race at Albion Park on July 3 before the $250,000 The Rising Sun a week later.

Spirit Of St Louis again showed a stunning 200m turn of speed, absolutely elite speed, but what did he beat?

He’s a lock for a spot in The Rising Sun, but can he win it? That speed is a serious weapon, but it’s a monstrous class rise from what he’s beaten in two Aussie runs so far.

Luke McCarthy thinks he’ll measure up and that’s good enough for me.

New Zealand’s best three-year-old will kick-start his Queensland campaign at Redcliffe next Saturday night.

Trainer Cran Dalgety isn’t fazed by the unique “triangle” track: “It’s either trial him this week or race for some prizemoney in the Derby, so we’re off to Redcliffe.”

Krug looks the only three-year-old certain to take on Expensive Ego and four-year-olds in The Rising Sun.

“The race is a great concept. You wouldn’t run a three-year-old without the advantage of the best barrier draws and it’s a winner because even people with the top four-year-olds aren’t complaining,” Dalgety said.

He said he was more frustrated than disappointed with Krug’s narrow last start defeat in the NZ Harness Jewels final.

“Frustrated, annoyed … he didn’t finish his race off, simple as that. He had to win with the run he had, but he’s a young stallion and they can do that,” he said.

“He’s been here a week, seems great and I’m sure you’ll see the best of him over the next month or so here.”

The other glamour Kiwi raider, Copy That, won’t race this week, instead sharpening-up with an Albion Park trial on Friday.

He’ll go straight to the Wondais Mate, potentially against King Of Swing and Spankem, at Albion Park on July 3.

This is going to be one heck of a next five weeks of racing in Queensland!

By Adam Hamilton for Sky Racing