Penny Black set for Empress Stakes
Outstanding mare Penny Black overcame the back mark of 30 metres and an early setback to score a splendid victory in the $35,000 Race For Roses over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“That probably will be her only start in a stand, and she will now be set for the $75,000 Empress Stakes, a mobile over 2536m next Friday week,” said trainer Michael Young, who has unhappy memories of the 2023 Empress Stakes when his well-fancied runner and $2.40 favourite Nevermindthechaos endured a torrid run.
Nevermindthechaos began from the outside of the front line, was trapped four wide early and then was restrained to last before dashing forward to the breeze in the second lap and was still second when she was checked 80m from home and dislodged her driver Gary Hall jnr.
Penny Black was the $1.50 favourite in Friday night’s event when she began safely before breaking into a gallop soon afterwards and losing about two lengths.
Water Lou, the 30m co-backmarker and the $3.20 second favourite, put in a couple of rough strides early and settled down in last position, with the $8 third fancy Sweet Vivienne being checked and breaking into a gallop.
“Penny Black got a really good start, and when the two dangers got into a bit of trouble my eyes lit up,” said Hall. “And I drove Penny Black like she’d had a hundred starts in stands.
“But things probably worked out to her benefit. Water Lou then got in front of Penny Black and obviously had to try to stay in front of us. The wind was pretty crazy, and they were going way too fast early, and we ended up getting the best run of the race.
“Once I saw Water Lou down the back (in the final lap) I was confident. Shannon (Suvaljko) was fully at work on her and she wasn’t getting away, and I knew penny Black wouldn’t stop.
“Turning for home I heard Chilli Punter coming and I gave Penny Black a little tap on the rump, and she took off like she had just joined in. She did what we expected of her to do under the circumstances. It’s always nice to see her bounce back after her last-start defeat (when fourth behind Nullarbor Navajo in the Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra).”
Water Lou surged forward 600m after the start and took the lead after a lap. Penny Black was sixth, one-out and two-back at the bell before Hall sent her forward, three wide, with about 650m to travel. She gained the upper hand 250m from home and won by 4m from the fast-finishing $20 chance Chilli Punter, who had raced in third place on the pegs. Water Lou was a half-length farther back in third place.
Penny Black has earned $171,052 from eleven wins and six placings from 23 starts. She won once from six starts in New Zealand, and her 17 WA starts have produced ten wins and four placings.
Hugotastic remains unbeaten in WA
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred five-year-old Hugotastic looks set for bigger and better things after not being extended in winning easily at his first three starts in Western Australia.
He was the $1.50 favourite when he began smartly for reinsman Gary Hall jnr from barrier four and took the lead after 150m on his way to winning by two lengths from the fast-finishing $8 chance Ideal Muscle, rating 1.57.2 over the 2130m journey in strong, gusty winds.
Hugotastic’s trainer Michael Brennan has a high opinion of the Sweet Lou gelding, but he was conservative in his praise after his impressive victory, saying: “It was easy for him, but things will get harder.
“He will keep rolling through the grades and we will see how he goes, and then we will work out where we will go with him. He was offered to a WA trainer, who didn’t like him. So, I bought him and am racing him with a syndicate of my owners. We paid a decent amount for him.”
Four-year-old Ideal Muscle, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, will pay to follow. He began smartly from the No. 2 barrier but was unable to cross the polemarker Chasing Hill before De Campo eased him to the pegs. He raced three back on the inside, in fifth position, and was badly hampered for room until getting into the clear in the final stages.
Easy for Blameitonthenight
Blameitonthenight, beaten by a nose by the flying Greatgreat Boulder two starts before contesting the $21,000 Hoist Torque Australia Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, turned the tables of that talented pacer when he carried too many guns for his rival.
Blameitonthenight, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Gary Hall jnr, was a warm $1.60 favourite from the No. 3 barrier, with Greatgreat Boulder the $5.50 second fancy from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
Blameitonthenight settled down in the one-out, one-back position before Hall urged him forward after 450m and the six-year-old dashed straight to the front, with Greatgreat Boulder back in tenth position.
After ambling opening quarters of 31.5sec. and 31.9sec. Blameitonthenight sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 27.5sec. to win by almost three lengths from Greatgreat Boulder, who finished with a powerful burst from tenth at the bell.
Blameitonthenight won twice from twelve starts in New Zealand --- scoring at his first two appearances, on May 7, 2021, and on October 14, 2021, and his nine WA starts have resulted in four wins and four placings, improving his record to 21 starts for six wins, eight placings and stakes of $63,878.
He is bred in the purple, being by champion stallion Bettors Delight and is the fifth foal out of Christian Cullen mare Gotta Go Harmony, who was retired with a record of 22 starts for four wins, eight placings and $205,909. The highlight of her career was her victory in the group 1 Diamond for two-year-old fillies at Ashburton in May 2009 when she rated 1.55.5 over 1609m, with a final 400m in 26.5sec.
Spyglass makes a flying start
Noted speedster Spyglass paved the way for a runaway victory in the $23,000 Retravision Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he began speedily from out wide at barrier No. 7.
Driven by his trainer Lindsay Harper, Spyglass, a $3.70 chance, burst straight to the front and then was able to amble through the lead time in 37.8sec. and the opening quarters in 31.6sec. and 30.2sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.5sec. to give his rivals virtually no hope of catching him.
He scored by four lengths from Mikis Beach, who shared favouritism at $3 with the polemarker Sista Sammy.
Mikis Beach, racing first-up and starting from the inside of the back line, raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly. Sista Sammy, also racing first-up after a spell, was a nose farther back in third place after trailing Spyglass all the way.
The New Zealand-bred Spyglass, who rated 1.57.5, has earned $111,652 from 13 wins and nine placings from 30 starts. He is by Sweet Lou and is the fifth foal out of Christian Cullen mare Beardsley, who raced 59 times for three wins, eight placings and $18,454.
Wonderful To Fly back in form
Star mare Wonderful To Fly bounced back to her best form when she unwound a spirited burst to win the $31,000 The Nullarbor The Road To Riches Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Part-owned and trained and driven by Shane Young, Wonderful To Fly was making her fourth appearance after resuming from a spell, and she ended a losing sequence of six to take her record to 68 starts for 32 wins, 18 placings and $821,305 in prizemoney.
Young planned to take advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier by setting the pace. But Wonderful To Fly, a $13.60 chance, was beaten for early speed by the $3.80 second fancy Aardiebytheseaside, who zoomed out from the No. 3 barrier.
When Sangue Reale ($8) dashed forward from out wide at barrier eight and then was eased on to the pegs to trail the pacemaking Aardiebytheseaside, Wonderful To Fly was shuffled back to three back on the pegs, with the $1.70 favourite Gee Heza Sport in the breeze and Talks Up A Storm well placed in the one-out, one-back position.
The lead time was a fast 36.1sec. and the opening 400m section was covered in a flying 28.3sec. El Chema ($21) raced in eighth position in the field of nine before Maddison Brown sent him forward, three wide, approaching the bell. El Chema sustained his effort and took the lead 450m from home before Aardiebytheseaside regained the lead on the home turn.
Young was able to ease Wonderful To Fly off the pegs with about 250m to travel and the WA=-bred six-year-old moved to fourth on the home turn and ran on powerfully to get to the front in the final few strides and beat $31 chance Little Darling by a half neck. Little Darling was last at the bell before flying home.
The event resulted in a triumph for the three mares in the race providing the trifecta after starting from barriers one, two and three.
Young said he was quite happy to abandon his plans of leading, saying: “Aardiebytheseaside had the better of me early, and I wasn’t against sitting with my mare. I didn’t want to go to war early in the race.
“The race turned into a high-pressure affair, and I had a bit of luck at the end. Wonderful To Fly produced her old sprint which was great. She was relaxed tonight and once she got out (off the pegs) and got balanced up, she dug in, and it felt very good to prove that she is still a quality mare.”
Hoppys Way surprises
Hopps Way, a rank outsider at $33.80, caused an upset when he set the pace and won the $31,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old, driven by Shannon Suvaljko for astute trainer Mike Reed, beat his stablemate and $13 chance Ragazzo Mach, rating 1.56.7, with the $2.20 favourite Rolling Fire failing to fire, finishing a disappointing sixth in the field of eight.
Hoppys Way, who was having his third start after a spell, revealed his normal brilliant gate speed as he charged straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier, with Ragazzo Mach, from the No. 1 barrier, enjoying a perfect sit behind his stablemate.
Rolling Fire, making his first appearance for four months, raced in last position until he was switched three wide at the bell. After a 28sec. third quarter he moved to third 400m from home, but he wilted over the final quarter which was run in 28.6sec.
Hoppys Way now has raced 60 times for 14 wins, 13 placings and $250,125 in prizemoney.
Fakenit shows her class
Promising three-year-old filly Fakenit is developing into a serious contender in rich feature events later this year when she overcame a hiccup at the start and went on to win the $21,000 Allwood Stud Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The filly, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Gary Hall jnr, dominated betting and was the $1.20 favourite from the No. 4 barrier.
She gave her supporters a scare when she was fractious in the mobile score-up and missed the start by a length before settling down in fifth position, with Gelsomino Amal ($51) leading for the first 100m before Ruby Lou ($26) dashed to the front and the lead time was covered in a fast 35.5sec.
Hall jnr then dashed Fakenit forward and into the lead after 550m before getting the filly to relax and run the opening 400m section of the final mile in a modest 31.9sec. This was followed by quarters of 30.3sec., 29.2sec. and 27.6sec. and Fakenit won by just over a length from Ruby Lou, rating 1.56.7.
Fakenit is by American sire American Ideal and is the first foal out of the Alta Christiano mare Fake News, who earned $177,412 from 14 wins, six seconds and one third placing from 38 starts.
The highlight of her career was her win in the group 3 Country Derby at Pinjarra in March 2019. She was retired to the breeding barn after winning at her final two appearances, at Gloucester Park in August 2020. Fakenit has now raced three times for two wins and an unlucky second placing for stakes of $20,955.
My Watchlist gives Hall his fifth winner
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr completed another brilliant display in the sulky at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he guided My Watchlist to an effortless victory in the final event, the $25,000 Westral Pace over 2130m.
This followed wins in the eight-race card with Hugotastic, Blameitonthenight, Penny Black and Fakenit, and it took his season’s tally to 63 wins --- a lead of 27 over his nearest rival, Deni Roberts, on the drivers’ premiership table.
The New Zealand-bred My Watchlist, making his second appearance after a spell, was the $1.80 favourite from the No. 6 in the seven-horse field, and he was quite keen in the score-up, with Hall then restraining him, out wide, back to last before setting him alight and dashing forward after 200m to burst past Chaco Eagle ($4.80) with two laps to travel.
After a lead time of 36.6sec. My Watchlist dawdled trough the opening quarter of the final mile in 32.5sec. before increasing the tempo with quarters of 29.7sec., 28.9sec. and 28.1sec. He won by three lengths from $12 chance Kurious Boy, who finished solidly from sixth at the bell.
“I was in no-man’s land early and I had visions of the things I did with him at his previous start, restraining him back to last and then trying to make a run (out three wide in the last lap) when the pace was on,” said Hall.
“I elected to go against that tactic, and sometimes the wind (strong and gusty) can be your friend, and I don’t think they heard me coming.
“Once he got to the top he dropped the bit completely. I thought he might have overworked himself, fighting against me early. But he got to the line comfortably.”
My Watchlist has had only twelve starts for six wins, four seconds and $52,281. He won at two of his five New Zealand starts and his seven WA starts have produced four wins and two seconds.
He is by American sire Hes Watching and is the third foal out of Donnamach, who raced 16 times for two wins, two placings and stakes of $10,582.
