History beckons Catch A Wave
Star Victorian pacer Catch A Wave is poised to become only the fourth horse in the 98-year history of the Fremantle Cup to win the group 1 feature event in successive years after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier in Friday night’s $300,000 race at Gloucester Park sponsored by Retravision.
Prepared by Victorian trainer Andy Gath and driven by his wife Kate, the enigmatic Catch A Wave will have to overcome a dramatic change in his preparation after his erratic behaviour has prevented him from enjoying important hoppled training runs.
Instead, the Gaths have had to keep him fit by leading him off a motor bike and galloping in heavy sand at champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond’s magnificent Forrestdale property.
“We couldn’t give Catch A Wave hoppled runs on the Bond’s track because he just wanted to run off all the time,” said Andy Gath. “So, he has been galloping off the motor bike, and this is a bit of a risk because he is not used to it.
“When he is a pig, he’s a pig. But he is quiet and goes to sleep when he’s at the races. However, once he gets ready to go on to the track he starts snorting and carrying on.
“He has done that when we travel. He was like that when we took him to Menangle for the Miracle Mile (in March 2023 when he began from barrier four, dashed to the front after 120m and won from Spirit Of St Louis). It was the same when we took him to New Zealand (and he raced twice at Addington last November).”
The only horses who have won the Fremantle Cup in successive years have been Lincoln Storm (1985-86), Village Kid (1988-89) and Im Themightyquinn (2011-12).
Twelve months ago in the 2024 Fremantle Cup, Catch A Wave was restrained back to the rear from the No. 6 barrier and raced in 11TH position for the first two laps before starting a three-wide burst 900m from home. He was switched four wide at the 500m and burst to the front with 250m to travel before winning from the pacemaker Jumpingjackmac.
He rated 1.55.7 to set a track record for 2936m, eclipsing the 1.55.8 rate set by the mighty Smolda in winning the final of the Interdominion championship in December 2016.
“Number one is always the draw you want to get,” said Andy Gath. “And a couple of the main chances have drawn the back line, and this gives Catch A Wave a great opportunity. But Minstrel drew No. 1 in the Nullarbor last week and we all assumed he would win. So, his defeat showed that there is no guarantee of winning from barrier one.
“Every race is run differently. You would expect Catch A Wave to lead, particularly after the way he came out of the gates here two weeks ago (when he led from barrier five and won from Mister Smartee, rating 1.55.3 over 2130m).
“Catch A Wave has natural gate speed, so you wouldn’t think he will be challenged early. But at some stage the pressure is going to come. This will be different to when he won this race last year when he came off the speed.
“Everything is tempo related; a lot depends on the lead time and how much pressure you get. Kate has the option of handing up, but I’m not saying she will. I consider that Catch A Wave is better than he was 12 months ago. But saying that, I was a little disappointed last week (when he began from the outside barrier at No. 9, raced at the rear and finished ninth behind Mister Smartee in the Nullarbor slot race).
“I know he was never in a winning position, but I thought he should have finished a bit closer. He was never in a position to challenge them the way the race was run.”
Mister Smartee, Minstrel, Mighty Ronaldo and Gee Heza Sport are expected to be the hardest for Catch A Wave to beat.
Mister Smartee, a brilliant winner of last week’s Nullarbor, is prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall snr, who has won the Fremantle Cup a record ten times, and the five-year-old will be driven by Gary Hall jnr, who has won the race nine times.
Mister Smartee, a winner at 17 of his 22 starts, will begin from the inside of the back line, and the initial thoughts of the Halls is that the gelding will be driven with a perfect sit behind the likely pacemaker Catch A Wave.
“I don’t think the draw is hopeless,” said Hall snr. “I expect Catch A Wave will lead, and I’m sure Gary will do all he can to get off the pegs and into the clear later in the race. My opinion is to stay there (on the pegs) and take a chance.”
Hall jnr said: “I don’t mind barrier ten, and as long as Catch A Wave can hold up, and we can hold his back, it shouldn’t be too bad.” The Hall stable will also be represented by last-start winner Prince Of Pleasure, to be driven by Maddison Brown from barrier five.
The Bond stable has won the Fremantle Cup with Money Magnet in 2006 and Minstrel in 2022, with Greg Bond hinting strongly that Minstrel, to be driven by Deni Roberts, would be seen racing in the breeze.
“I generally leave the tactics up to Deni, but probably with Mister Smartee drawn barrier ten, if the opportunity came up, Minstrel would try to work forward and probably get outside of Catch A Wave,” said Greg Bond. “That might not eventuate, but it’s the likely scenario, subject to what the others do.
“Minstrel probably will be able to get to the breeze under his own steam, and without Swayzee in the race, it will be more tactical, speed related as against last week when Swayzee put the handlebars down --- and he hurt us (Minstrel) and hurt himself.
“Minstrel is our main chance because he has the runs on the board.” The other Cup runners for the Bond stable are Gee Heza Sport, to be driven by Luke McCarthy from out wide at barrier eight, and veteran Mighty Conqueror, to be driven by Stuart McDonald from the No. 4 barrier.
“It looks tricky from eight for Gee Heza Sport, but if he gets a run into it and the leaders are a bit vulnerable you will see a horse capable of winning,” said Bond. Gee Heza Sport was sixth at the bell before charging home to finish an eye-catching second to Mister Smartee last week.
This will be eight-year-old Minstrel’s fourth appearance in the Fremantle Cup. He led from barrier one and won from stablemate Patronus Star in 2022; he was a $13 chance when he began from barrier No. 12 (the outside of the back line) and raced in the breeze when a head second to Mighty Ronaldo in 2023; and last year he was the $3.30 favourite when he raced in the breeze before wilting to finish ninth behind Catch A Wave.
Minstrel will start from the outside of the back line on Friday night, with Roberts most likely to send the veteran pacer forward soon after the start in a bid to get to the breeze and apply pressure on Catch A Wave.
Seven-year-old Mighty Ronaldo, trained by Justin Prentice and to be driven by Will Rixon, will begin from barrier two on the back line, with stable expectations that he will have a soft run three back on the pegs before unwinding a characteristic late sprint.
He was most impressive in last year’s Fremantle Cup when he raced at the rear and was last with 300m to travel and eighth on the home turn before charging home, out five wide, to finish a close fourth behind Catch A Wave.
And last Friday night Mighty Ronaldo again impressed when he raced three back on the pegs and was hopelessly blocked for a clear run until Rixon got him off the pegs 200m from home. But Mighty Ronaldo was badly blocked for a run in the home straight and finished an unlucky close-up fifth behind Mister Smartee.
“He has a good draw this week and to get three pegs will be good,” said Prentice. “We expected the field to open up in the last lap last week but there were so many good horses in the field and that didn’t happen. We are looking for a good tempo this week.”
Prentice will also be represented by Tricky Miki, to be driven by Trent Wheeler from barrier six. “It’s a bit of a nowhere draw, and I will leave the tactics up to Trent,” said Prentice. “He has good gate speed, and he is probably best suited on the rail in this sort of company.”
Four-year-old Waverider is the youngest runner in the race, and Wonderful To Fly is the only mare in the field.
Waverider, to be driven by Kyle Symington for trainer Ryan Bell, is favourably drawn at barrier two, with managing part-owner Kevin Jeavons saying: “He couldn’t cross from barrier three last week, got back to second last, and the good horses up the front don’t stop.” He finished eighth. “At least, he will be in the running line at the start.”
Part-owner and trainer-reinsman Shane Young was philosophical when Wonderful To Fly, a winner at 32 of her 70 starts, drew the No. 9 barrier. “I would have been happier with a softer draw,” he said. “We are living on hope. I’ll grab hold, find a spot and hope we have a lot of luck.”
Mike Reed, the trainer of noted fast beginner Hoppys Way, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko from barrier three, said: “I’ll leave tactics up to Shannon. You don’t need to burn up too much petrol early in a 2936m race. Maybe if we come out there might be a gap, and if he gets a good trip, he could run third, fourth or fifth. And if they go silly, you never know.”
Dylan Egerton-Green, who trains and drives Otis (barrier seven), said: “He will like the 2900m, and hopefully, there will be a bit of a war at some stage, and we can just smoke the pipe.
“In the Nullarbor last week Otis (who trailed the pacemaker Minstrel) got held up in the last lap until the last 50m when he got through and made up a bit of ground to finish sixth,” said Egerton-Green. “If he’d had a clear run through it would have definitely helped his chances.”
Cyclone Jordy set for ten in a row
Outstanding three-year-old Cyclone Jordy has the class to overcome a wide barrier at No. 7 and win the $50,000 Retravision Caduceus Club Classic over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A victory would extend his winning sequence to ten. He won at his final appearance in New Zealand and is unbeaten at his eight starts in WA.
He is prepared by master trainer Gary Hall snr, who has won the Caduceus Club Classic eight times --- scoring with Almagest (1990), The Falcon Strike (2001), Ulrich (2004), Gracias Para Nada (2012), Northview Punter (2013), Elegant Christian (2014), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Im The Black Flash (2023).
Cyclone Jordy’s driver Gary Hall jnr has won the classic seven times, with two of his winners --- Latte (2003) and Alberts Fantasy (2006) --- being trained by Mike Beech and Jason Fry, respectively.
“It’s never easy from barrier seven, but Cyclone Jordy is good enough to overcome that draw,” said Hall jnr. “He is so versatile; he gets off the gate really good, he can sit up and go really well, and he can breeze if we have to.”
Cyclone Jordy was not extended, as usual, when he dashed straight to the front from the outside barrier in a field of five last Friday night and set a moderate pace before sprinting over the final 400m in 27sec. to win by a length and a half from Control The Room, rating 1.57.4 over 2130m.
The Hall stable also will be represented by the highly promising Scooter B, who was a sound first-up third to Cyclone Jordy last week after winning very easily at his first two WA starts, at Bunbury and Pinjarra, late last year, following a win at Auckland’s Alexandra Park in September. He will be driven by Stuart McDonald from barrier four.
The most serious opposition for the Hall runners is sure to be the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Belly Up, whose 15 starts have produced five wins, five seconds and one third placing. Belly Up, to be driven by Deni Roberts, fared poorly in the random draw and will start out wide at barrier eight.
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice will be looking for a strong first-up performance from the polemarker Paint the Palette, who will be driven by visiting Sydney reinsman Will Rixon. “We will be trying to hold up before sitting on Cyclone Jordy,” said Prentice.
Paint The Palette was a winner at Pinjarra on debut last August before his following five runs produced two seconds, one third and two fourth placings.
Trainers Aiden De Campo, Ryan Bell and Dylan Egerton-Green have two runners in Friday night’s race, with De Campo choosing to drive last-start Pinjarra winner Last Hard Copy (barrier five) ahead of Seaside Magic (Joey Suvaljko; barrier ten).
Bell’s runners are Control The Room (Kyle Symington; barrier two) and Wicked Hustler (Ryan Warwick; barrier three) and Egerton-Green will drive Captain Stirling (barrier six), with that colt’s stablemate Full Swing Denario to be handled by Trent Wheeler from barrier two on the back line.
McDonald likes Madam Publisher
“When she leads, she is very hard to beat,” said Serpentine trainer-reinsman Stuart McDonald when assessing Madam Publisher’s prospects in the final event, the $25,000 Retravision 60 Day Price Promise Pace for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Though it is only a small field of seven, this event creates considerable interest with four-year-old Madam Publisher clashing with brilliant six-year-old Little Darling, who will be driven by champion reinsman Chris Lewis for Busselton trainer Barry Howlett.
New Zealand-bred Madam Publisher, winner of the WA Oaks last October, has raced only 18 times for nine wins, three seconds and one third placing.
She had a torrid run at Pinjarra on Monday this week when she made an unsuccessful challenge for the lead and wilted to finish fifth behind Alta Tribute over 2185m. At her previous appearance, at Gloucester Park on April 11, she began brilliantly from barrier six and led all the way and won by almost two lengths from smart four-year-old geldings Thelittle Master and Ideal Muscle, rating 1.55.5 over 2130m.
“I will be attempting to get to the front (from barrier four) and if she leads, she will give the others something to chase,” said McDonald. “She has pulled up fine after her hard run at Pinjarra on Monday.”
Madam Publisher will need to be at her top to defeat Little Darling, who has earned $262,228 from ten wins and 18 placings from 43 starts.
Little Darling was most impressive in winning the group 2 Empress Stakes over 2536m last Friday week when she was last in the field of eleven with 450m to travel and flew home to snatch victory from class mares Aardiebytheseaside and Wonderful To Fly, rating 1.56.5.
Little Darling showed her class when she finished a half-head second to Taking The Miki in the WA Oaks in October 2022, and when fourth behind Aardiebytheseaside, Wonderful To Fly and Steno in the group 1 Mares Classic last November.
Trainer Dylan Egerton-Green has chosen to handle the polemarker Champagne Everyone in preference to stablemate Our Lady Jen, who will be having her first start since winning a $30,000 event for mares on January 10. Our Lady Jen has raced 53 times for eleven wins and 16 placings, and she will be driven by Gary Hall jnr.
Hall also will be looking forward to driving 2023 WA Derby winner Skylou in his comeback to racing after a spell when he will share the back mark of 50m with classy stablemate Im The Black Flash in the 2503m Retravision For All The Electrical Stuff You Love Handicap.
Gary Hall snr trains Skylou and Im The Black Flash, who will also be resuming after a spell, and will be driven by Stuart McDonald.
“Even though they are off 50 metres I expect one of them to win,” said Hall jnr. “Skylou runs his best races in front, but he has to mature eventually,” he said.
