Penny Black ready to challenge Steno
Mardella trainer Michael Young has Penny Black in peak form, and he is looking forward to the New Zealand-bred five-year-old clashing with brilliant speedster Steno in the $35,000 Golden Girls Mile over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday of next week.
Penny Black gave an outstanding performance to win the $50,000 group 3 Lombardo Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and Young is confident she can beat Steno, providing she draws inside of her arch rival.
Steno, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young (no relation to Michael), was untroubled to set the pace and win easily from Machs Legacy and Cyclone Charlotte in the 2024 Golden Girls Mile 12 months ago.
“Penny Black is definitely capable of beating Steno if she draws inside of her,” said Michael Young. “I’d like to draw inside of Steno and then see her racing on the outside of Penny Black instead of the other way around.
“Penny Black’s performance tonight was simply super. The times don’t do her justice. Mentally, what she did is so hard to do --- to chase the tearaway leader who was so far ahead.”
Penny Black, the $1.40 favourite, began well from the No. 5 barrier but was beaten out by Steno’s stablemates Peaceful (barrier three) and Castella Dellacqua (barrier two), leaving her racing without cover, a few lengths back in third place.
Peaceful, the $6 second favourite driven by Jocelyn Young, began to overrace fiercely and she careered away to lead by about eight lengths at the bell, following middle 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 28.7sec.
Penny Black, driven by Gary Hall jnr, gradually made up ground in the back straight before getting to the front with 260m to travel and winning by just under a length from $23 chance Montana Glory, who fought on solidly after trailing Penny Black all the way. Peaceful faded to finish seventh.
“It was hard to do what she did tonight,” said Hall. “She is a great mare and is fun to drive. You never give up on her because she always has something there.”
Penny Black, who worked hard in the breeze when an excellent second to Steno in the 2130m Christmas Belles three starts ago, raced six times in New Zealand for one win and two placings, and has been most impressive in WA with her 15 starts for Young producing nine wins and four placings, taking her career record to 21 starts for ten wins, six placings and $149,309 in prizemoney.
Cyclone Jordy’s soft win
“It’s nice to get a soft win, but things will get harder,” said Gary Hall jnr after driving the brilliant New Zealand-bred three-year-old Cyclone Jordy to a runaway victory in the $23,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was little more than a stroll in the park for the $1.04 favourite, who settled down in the one-out, two-back position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst 450m after the start. The Art Major gelding took the lead 200m later after a very slow lead time of 38.9sec. and a dawdling opening quarter of the final mile in 31.8sec.
The second 400m section was covered in 30.3sec. before Cyclone Jordy increased the tempo and dashed over the final quarters in 27.7sec. and 27.9sec. to win by just over six lengths from six-year-old Navy Street ($34), with eight-year-old Medieval Man finishing solidly to be a head farther back in third place.
Ten-year-old Regal Cheval, having his 160TH start, was first out from the No. 7 barrier, but was unable to cross Navy Street, who began speedily from the No. 2 barrier.
Regal Cheval, a $41 chance driven by Maddison Brown, raced in the breeze early before Showpony ($61) took that position 1200m from home. Then, 150m later Regal Cheval met with interference and broke, causing Galaxy Warrior, Cordero and Winegum to be badly checked.
Cyclone Jordy, prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall snr, is making every post a winner on his way to contesting the rich WA Derby later in the year. He has not been extended in winning at his four starts in WA, scoring by an average margin of four lengths. He is poised to improve significantly from his record of seven wins and one second from nine starts for stakes of $198,287.
Justcallmemiki is a star
“He has all the attributes of a good horse,” was the succinct and understated conclusion stated by Deni Roberts after driving Justcallmemiki to a very easy win in the $31,000 Westside Auto Fixed Price Servicing Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and he was not extended in setting the pace and winning by two lengths from the fast-finishing $21 chance Spyglass. This followed his easy win at his Australian debut a fortnight earlier when he led and defeated Waverider.
“He felt a lot better,” said Roberts. “He was a lot more switched on, and he feels like he has got toughness about him as well as his good gate speed. And he also has a good turn of foot.”
Justcallmemiki, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, is showing all the signs of developing into a leading candidate for the rich Golden Nugget later in the year.
He had the luxury of ambling through the lead time in 38.3sec. before a comfortable opening quarter of 30.1sec. He then increased the tempo with 400m sections of 29.2sec., 28.5sec. and 27.6sec.
Justcallmemiki was joined in the lead with 1200m to travel by his ten-year-old stablemate Mighty Conqueror, who was making his first appearance for seven months. Mighty Conqueror, a winner of 22 races and $697,791, began from the outside of the back line and settled at the rear before Stuart McDonald sent him forward in the middle stages. He fought on gamely to finish in third place.
Four-year-old Justcallmemiki, who was competing against older and more experienced rivals, has earned $83,316 from six wins and two placings from 14 starts.
Insta Gator is on the way up
Ravenswood trainer-driver Jocelyn Young predicted more successes for Insta Gator after driving the big gelding to a comfortable victory in the $23,000 Westside Auto Service Now Available Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He was really sharp tonight and showed that we are on the right track (looking at the future),” said Young. “We got away with plenty early (a slow lead time of 39.1sec. and an ambling opening quarter of 31.6sec.). Everyone thinks he is tough, but he also has a good turn of foot.”
Insta Gator, the $3.20 second fancy from the No. 1 barrier, won the start and held the $2.35 favourite Vegas Strip at bay after that four-year-old at his first appearance after a spell had begun speedily from barrier four.
Mister Macedon ($19) dashed forward from the rear after 250m to race in the breeze, a move which enabled Vegas Strip to gain a favourable trip in the one-out, one-back position.
Vegas Strip started a three-wide move with 350m to travel, but it was short-lived, and he wilted to finish seventh, with Adda Spoilt major ($81) finishing second after trailing the leader all the way. Magnus Victor ($7) ran on from the rear to finish third.
Insta Gator sprinted strongly over the final quarters of 27.8sec. and 28sec. and rated 1.57.9 while improving his record to 37 starts for ten wins, 15 placings and $107,029.
He is by American sire Huntsville and is out of the Art Major mare Topless Beach Girl, who is best known as the dam of The Miki Taker, winner of the Pearl Classic for two-year-olds in June 2021, and boasts a record of 15 wins, 24 placings and stakes of $300,275 from 57 starts.
Chumani turns the tables
Veteran trotter Chumani, beaten into second place by Patched at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon, turned the tables on fellow eight-year-old when he proved too strong for his rival in the $21,000 Westside Auto 4WD Specialists Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Patched was all the rage as the $1.38 favourite, with Chumani the $4.20 second fancy in the 2130m mobile event.
Wonnerup owner-trainer Terry Ferguson engaged Gary Hall jnr to handle Chumani after the gelding’s regular reinsman Chris Voak had opted to drive at the Bunbury meeting on Friday night, and Hall took his record with Chumani to three drives for two wins and a second placing from three drives.
Majestic Courtney ($41) set the pace, with Hall content to rate Chumani in the breeze, while Patched, the solitary runner on the back line, enjoyed a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position, behind Chumani.
Chumani got to the front 350m from home, and he held on to defeat Patched by 2m to improve his record to 87 starts for 16 wins, 31 placings and $161,494 --- quite a remarkable effort for a horse who was bred to be a pacer.
Chumani is by champion pacing sire Bettors Delight and is the first foal out of Storm Cat, a pacer who had 18 starts in WA for four seconds and one third placing. Storm Cat’s next four foals were pacers, with Syncopation winning once (at Pinjarra) from 46 starts, and Scuttlebutt winning twice (at Pinjarra and Bunbury) from 19 starts.
Storm Cat is a half-sister to seven winners (all pacers), including The Storm Inside (19 starts for 16 wins, two placings and $311,125) and Firestorm (175 starts for 25 wins, 41 placings and $307,297).
The Storm Inside’s victories included the group 1 APG feature for two-year-old colts and geldings at Melton in April 2016, the group 2 Fitzpatrick Memorial at Menangle in February 2016, and the group 3 Alabar Vicbred Platinum at Melton in October 2019.
Young is setting the pace
Michael Young is making a flying start to the 2025 season and after the first nine weeks of the year he has raced away to a commanding lead on the WA trainers’ premiership table.
He completed a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Emily Suvaljko drove Ideal Tomado to victory in the $21,000 3000 Vehicles Westside Auto Wholesale Handicap, 90 minutes after his star mare Penny Black had won the group 3 Lombardo Pace.
Young leads the premiership table with 30 winners from 95 starters and is well clear of Dylan Egerton-Green (19 winners) and Lang Inwood (17).
Ideal Tomado began from the 30m mark and was the third favourite at $8.30 in Friday night’s event in which Greatgreat Boulder was a warm $2.05 favourite from 10m.
Greatgreat Boulder galloped at the start and lost about 35m, while Ideal Tomado settled down in sixth position. Sound Wave ($34) led early before Lamandier ($8.50) dashed to the front 550m after the start, leaving Ideal Tomado in the breeze.
Suvaljko made a winning move when she urged Ideal Tomado forward to take up the running with 1400m to travel, and the eight-year-old went on to win by a neck from Star Casino, the $3.30 second fancy and sole backmarker off 40 metres.
This was Ideal Tomado’s first win in a stand (from five attempts), and it took his record to 84 starts for 14 wins, 23 placings and $140,003.
“I did a little bit too much early and didn’t have much left,” said Suvaljko. “But down the back he cruised away from Star Casino.”
Young was happy with Ideal Tomado’s win, saying: “He has been pretty consistent and is usually hard to beat when he finds the front.”
Following in his brother’s footsteps
In the space of four days last month Collie trainer Brian Wheeler produced Bettor Move Along for two wins at Gloucester Park, and at headquarters on Friday night Wheeler was to the fore again when his six-year-old pacer Follow Rocknroll was an impressive winner of the $21,000 Westside Auto All Makes And Models Pace.
Follow Rocknroll is a year younger than his half-brother Bettor Move Along, who will be back in action in race four at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon.
The two Wheeler-trained pacers are the first two foals out of unraced mare Rocknroll Royalty, and have been consistent performers, with Follow Rocknroll earning $75,865 from nine wins and 17 placings from 5 starts.
Wheeler’s son Trent had driven Follow Rocknroll at six of the gelding’s eight wins before Friday night’s race, but he opted to drive at the Bunbury meeting where he landed a double with Ta In Advance and Jackpot Joe.
Stuart McDonald was more than happy to handle Follow Rocknroll for the first time, and he drove patiently before getting the $7 chance home with a strong burst to win comfortably by 4m from the $1.70 favourite Vanderbilt, rating a smart 1.55.9 over 2130m.
Follow Rocknroll raced in seventh position, four back on the pegs, before McDonald was able to ease him into the one-wide line at the bell. Follow Rocknroll was hampered for room in the back straight before he got into the clear and started a three and four-wide burst approaching the home turn. He got to the front with 130m to travel.
Vanderbilt, who started from the outside (barrier No. 8) on the front line, raced three wide in the middle stages before taking a narrow lead 420m from home. He will pay to follow.
Follow Rocknroll’s win completed a double for McDonald, who was successful in the previous event with Triroyale Brigade. McDonald continued in winning vein when he scored with nine-year-old gelding Second Amendment in a 2190m event at Northam on Saturday night.
A wonderful combination
It was business as usual at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the enduring combination of owner Tim Blee, trainer Matt Scott and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko got the meeting underway with the victory of Mydadtheterror in the $21,000 Westside Auto Cars Pace over 2130m.
This continued a remarkable run of successes over the past eight years, a tally of 59 wins for the trio, with Suvaljko scoring with eleven pacers owned by Blee and trained by Scott.
All the winners have been chosen by Blee, a retired schoolteacher and a keen harness racing enthusiast.
Heading the list of winners for the trio are Neighlor and Cut Above, with Suvaljko driving Neighlor to 14 wins and Cut Above to 12 wins. Suvaljko’s other wins for Blee and Scott are as follows: Awaitinginstructions (seven), Son Of A Tiger (six), Follow The Music (four), Glens Of Tekoa, Clarenden Hustler, Belonero and Mikipelo (three each) and Miss Taken and Mydadtheterror (two each).
Suvaljko, who celebrated his 56TH birthday last Wednesday, said: “Tim is my old science teacher at school, and to win a race for him is lovely.
“Mydadtheterror’s previous run (seventh in a field of eight behind Ronald Scott at Bunbury two Tuesdays ago) was too bad to be true. And once he found the right spot tonight, he was dangerous, and he proved his true worth.”
Mydadtheterror was a $6.30 chance from the awkward barrier at No. 7, and he settled down in eighth position, with the polemarker and $6 chance Courage Of Lombo setting a solid pace.
When Aiden De Campo sent $12 chance Alfredi forward approaching the bell to move to the one-out, one-back position, Suvaljko was happy to follow that pacer who started a three-wide move 450m from home and then took the lead 150m later. Mydadtheterror finished strongly to get to the front in the final 60m before beating the fast-finishing $3.50 favourite Cee Dee Three by 2m.
Mydadtheterror had 52 starts in New Zealand for four wins and seven placings before he was purchased by Blee last September.
“He then had a spell before his first start in WA when he won first-up in Busselton on December 26,” said Scott. “He is a good sit-sprinter and will be a good earner. He is an opportunist, and there are no major aims for him. He will now probably go back to race in the country.”
Mydadtheterror is a six-year-old by former start New Zealand pacer Terror To Love and is the first foal out of Artistic Jewel, who was retired after being unplaced at her first two starts. Mydadtheterror has earned $60,736 from six wins and eight placings from 61 starts.
A lasting association
Hayden Charles has fond memories of his first winner --- Rattlesnake, for Wanneroo trainer Charlie Luca at Gloucester Park on October 22, 2001 --- and he was delighted to drive Chief Copy to victory for owner-trainer Luca in the $21,000 Westside Auto Tailored Financing Available Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chief Copy was the $2 favourite, who finished solidly from the out-out, one-back position at the bell to get up in the final couple of strides to win by a metre from Luca’s other runner Starlight Song ($17).
Starlight Song, driven by Vance Stampalia, trailed the pacemaker Ciganda ($2.40) before getting to the front on the home turn. It was an interesting situation, with Charles beating Stampalia, recalling the situation when Rattlesnake won back in 2001 when he beat Via Las Vegas by a head. Via Las Vegas was driven by Stampalia’s sister Tonia.
“I’ve had a good association with Charlie,” said Charles, who has driven the Charles-trained Galvinston John to two wins in recent times.
“Charlie called me during the week and asked me which horse I wanted to drive, and he said he wouldn’t be surprised if Starlight Song was successful.
“With such a slow lead time of 39.5sec. and a very slow first quarter of 32.9sec. tonight I thought it would be difficult to get over the leader. But we managed to get the job done.”
The seven-horse field settled down in Indian file before Kyle Harper got off the pegs with $19 chance Internal Waves with 1350m to travel. Charles was quick to follow the run of that pacer, and Chief Copy was able to sprint home in final quarters of 29.8sec. and 28.9sec.
Chief Copy has now earned $55,486 from two wins, ten seconds and four thirds from 29 starts. He is by former star pacer My hard Copy and is the first foal out of Kamendable Lass, who raced 98 times for seven wins, 21 placings and $67,816.
“This was my first quinella in 45 years of training,” said the 77-year-old Luca. “I liked the breeding of Chief Copy, but he was so small that he was not entered for the 2022 yearling sale. However, I was able to buy him cheaply from his breeder Bill Hayes.
Charles continued in winning form at Northam on Saturday night when he drove $15.30 chance Carmela Domenico to victory in race one for trainer John Guagliardo.
A first for Lara Brennan
Lara Brennan is happy that she heeded some wise advice from fellow-trainer Michael Young which resulted in her landing her first metropolitan-class winner when veteran pacer Triroyale Brigade proved too strong for his eleven younger rivals in the Westside Auto 24/7 Online Enquiry Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Stuart McDonald got Triroyale Brigade, the $3.70 second favourite, away smartly from the No. 4 barrier and the ten-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding dashed to the front after 270m before setting a solid pace and winning by a half-length from $51 outsider Pocketful Of Opals.
“I’ve had Triroyale Brigade since early last September,” said Brennan. “He was advertised for sale, and Michael Young recommended that I buy him --- and I got him for $4000.”
Triroyale Brigade is now raced by Brennan in partnership with her daughter Riley, her nephew Michael Grantham and Riley’s partner Archie Sinfield. The old gelding won first-up for Brennan when he finished strongly to beat Here Comes Sharkie at Gloucester Park on New Year’s Eve, and he now has had eight starts for his new connections for two wins, three seconds and two thirds for stakes of $18,428.
Brennan (49) has made an excellent start to her career as a trainer, with her first 23 starters producing five wins and eleven placings. Apart from Triroyale’s two wins, Brennan has won two races with Shes Lush (at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park in 2023) and one with Rocknroll Ralph at Pinjarra in May 20-23.
Triroyale Brigade, a winner at five of his 43 New Zealand starts, has won a further eight times in WA, taking his career record to 150 starts for 13 wins, 45 placings and $176,698. He is by Bettors Delight and is the third foal out of Mach Three mare Trigirl Brigade, who earned $143,710 from seven wins and ten placings from 46 starts.
Quizzed how she kept the old gelding racing with such enthusiasm, Brennan replied: “He doesn’t look ten, or act like a ten-year-old. I’m quite well known for spoiling my horses, and I’m a firm believer that if a horse is happy, I’ll be happy. He loves his carrots and molasses.
“I am a stablehand at Gary Hall senior’s stables where Bree Edman rides him. I prefer to have him ridden rather than working him in the cart.”
Apart from being thankful for Young’s advice, Brennan said she has learnt a great deal from Hall senior and Gary Hall junior, as well as from McDonald.
