Drama surrounds Never Ending’s triumph
While spectators at Gloucester Park on Friday night were cheering with unbridled enthusiasm at the brilliance of superstar pacer Never Ending’s thrilling win in the group 3 $50,000 SEFS Preux Chevalier Four-Year-Old Classic, few had the faintest idea of the drama surrounding the WA-bred gelding’s half-head victory.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr admitted that he was unusually nervous before the race and that he was greatly relieved that Never Ending was able to get up and win, while outstanding trainer Justin Prentice said he had many anxious moments during the event.
Prentice is still faced with the problems of finding the right gear to enable Never Ending to race truly.
“With the times they were running tonight and the way Never Ending was steering I thought he was in a lot of strife, and I thought he would have to dig really deep to win,” said Prentice.
“So, I was proud of him that he was able to dig deep when he needed to and to win even though things didn’t go perfectly for him. It wasn’t a very good watch, and I did have some anxious moments.
“Hotly Pursued crossed (to the front) so quickly and then the pace was so slow (with an opening 400m section of 32.3sec.). I knew that Junior (Hall) wanted to put Never Ending into the race. But we both wanted to be conservative, knowing that he would need the run.”
Hall said that Never Ending’s bad habit of hanging in during his races was a worrying problem. “Hanging takes so much out of him,” he explained. “Justin has tried a lot of gear changes, and I don’t have an answer for the problem. Nothing seems to work. If it (a gear change) does works, it works once, and not the next time. He is pretty cagey like that.
“Regardless of the result tonight, it’s not nice having this horse going that fast sideways, so you have to worry about all sorts of things then. Once you let him go, he wants to hang down. Justin says that when he works him the other way (clockwise) he hangs the other way as well; it’s not that he will hang out that way.
“It’s just a running down thing, and Justin won’t stop until he works how to fix things. He will keep trying until we get somewhere with it.
“Never Ending is a very good horse, an exceptional pacer, and if he had been beaten tonight, I would’ve said ‘don’t worry; it’s the hanging.’ He is doing a lot simply on raw ability.
“Tonight, I pulled him up the track wider in the home straight and let him run down. He got to the front (narrowly) about 50 metres from the post. If he had driven straight in the home straight, he would have won by a half-length.”
The stays of Hall’s sulky contacted the off-side wheel of Hotly Pursued sulky in the final few strides but did not affect that pacer’s progress.
“It was a relief to get up and win,” said Hall. “I was nervous. He’s probably the only horse I’m nervous about driving. His final 1200 metres was pretty solid. A lot of people will be saying ‘he’s supposed to be a superstar, but he has won by a breath.’ The win was better than what it might have looked like.”
Prentice added a near side Murphy blind to Never Ending’s gear on Friday night and removed the block blinkers. “We’ve had the Murphy on previously,” he said. “The first time we used the Murphy blind was in the three-year-old Pearl in May last year (when he raced at the rear and went five and six wide on the home turn and got up to win in a three-way photo finish from Sorridere and Overly Excited).
“But the Murphy had the effect of revving him up a bit. He used to pull in front, so we put blocks on him, and we thought that if he couldn’t see the other horses around him he might settle --- and we thought that it did help him to some degree, and it was really only the Derby (last November) that he was uncontrollable, and this cost him (finishing second to Skylou).
Prentice is at his wit’s end as he attempts to find the best solution to cure the gelding’s habit of hanging in. “He has never been easy to steer, and as a two-year-old he hung in all that campaign,” said Prentice.
“If he pulls up in good shape the plan will be to back him up next Friday night and then run in the $100,000 Westbred Classic a fortnight later, followed by the $1.25 million Nullarbor the next week.”
Never Ending, racing first-up after a 20-week absence, was the $1.20 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of six on Friday night, with Kyle Harper getting the $6 second fancy Hotly Pursued away fast from barrier five to burst straight to the front.
Lusaka ($8.50) began fast from barrier three before Deni Roberts restrained him back to last, leaving Never Ending in fifth position in the Indian file affair. Hall eased Never Ending off the pegs with 1400m to travel and then Harper lifted the tempo significantly with the final three quarters whizzing by in 28.8sec., 27.6sec. and 27.9sec.
Hotly Pursued appeared the likely winner on the home turn, but it was Never Ending’s splendid fighting qualities which enabled him to claw his way to a memorable victory, scoring by a half-head from Hotly Pursued, with $12 chance All Is Well finishing strongly into third place after trailing the winner over the final 1400m.
Never Ending, who rated 1.59.3 over the 2536m, has amassed $470,150 from 13 wins and two placings from 15 starts.
Cup mission for Tenzing Bromac
Tenzing Bromac, a rising star of WA pacing, reappeared after an absence of 19 weeks and showed that he will be a leading contender for the $300,000 Fremantle Cup on April 26 with a powerful performance to win the $31,000 SEFSolutions.com.au Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Produced in splendid condition by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, and driven in great style by Deni Roberts, Tenzing Bromac, the $2.80 second fancy, defeated the $2.65 favourite Tricky Miki by a half-length, rating 1.55.9 over 2130m.
Tenzing Bromac, a New Zealand-bred six-year-old, began from the outside barrier in the field of eight and raced four and three wide early as he surged forward to assume the breeze position outside $4 chance Hampton Banner.
Chris Lewis set a solid pace with Hampton Banner, with opening quarters of 29.5sec., 29.2sec. and 29sec., with Tenzing Bromac working without cover and Tricky Miki enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Roberts refused to be tempted to challenge for the lead in the back straight in the final lap, preferring to remain in the breeze and happy to keep Tricky Miki behind her until she urged Tenzing Bromac forward approaching the home turn and then getting to the front 115m from the post. Tricky Miki, driven by Maddison Brown, finished fast to be an excellent second.
“Deni rated him perfectly,” said Greg Bond, “She had Tricky Miki on her back, and after the race she said she had the leader covered in the back straight, so she waited until late to get to the front.
“Tenzing Bromac’s work at home has been great and he did what we were hoping what he would do. He is a quality Free-For-Aller, moving forward, and the Fremantle Cup will be his aim. And if there are some slots floating, he is definitely available to contest the Nullarbor slot race.
“He is a versatile horse who is tough, and he has a lot of bullets to fire.”
Tenzing Bromac won once from two New Zealand starts, and his 16 wins and 11 placings from 31 WA starts have boosted his earnings to $243,246.
It’s no trouble for Water Lou
Outstanding three-year-old filly Water Lou maintained her excellent form when she coasted to an effortless win in the $21,000 Catalano Truck And Equipment Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The $1.10 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, Water Lou boosted her record to 15 starts for eleven wins, two seconds and stakes of $231,935 --- and her all-the-way victory by one length over the $13 second favourite Xceptional Arma showed she will be hard to beat in the $50,000 final of the APG WA Gold Bullion next Friday week.
She will contest the second qualifying heat of the Gold Bullion at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night.
Water Lou’s victory completed a treble for astute trainer Mike Reed and star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko, who had combined earlier in the night with wins with Hoppys Way and Mister Linton.
“Shannon didn’t even pull the plugs tonight,” said Reed. “Water Lou is very laid back now, which is good.”
Hoppys Way resumes in style
The $50,000 Bunbury Cup next Saturday night is on the agenda for Hoppys Way after he resumed after a spell in dashing style with an easy all-the-way win in the 2130m SEFS You Name It, We Fund It Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hoppys Way, making his first appearance for 13 weeks, was the $2.80 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and he was driven confidently by Shannon Suvaljko, who gave the Mike Reed-trained New Zealand-bred five-year-old an easy time early with a slow lead time of 38.1sec. and modest opening quarters of 30.6sec. and 30sec. before lifting the tempo with final 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 27.5sec.
He won by 7m from the $19 chance October Reign, who trailed him throughout. Hoppys Way, who rated 1.56.7 over the 2130m journey, has earned $203,417 from 12 wins and nine placings from 46 starts.
He has been somewhat unlucky in major events, having set the pace and finishing a half-length second to Tricky Miki in the 2022 WA Derby, leading and finishing a half-head second to Wonderful To Fly in the group 1 Four-Year-Old Classic and fourth behind Tricky Miki in the Golden Nugget last December.
“We will keep racing him through the classes and keep chugging along,” said Reed. “And when he gets to open class, hopefully he might get a start in the big races like the WA Pacing Cup. He has good gate speed and can sit on fast pace.”
Suvaljko said that Hoppys Way hit the line strongly after getting away with a slow speed early in the windy conditions which saw horses having to contend with a strong headwind in the home straight.
Miki Jet is unbeaten at Gloucester Park
Five-year-old Miki Jet, a recent addition to the Serpentine stables of champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr, showed that he has the ability to develop into an excellent money spinner when he was not extended in setting the pace and scoring an effortless victory in the 2130m Catalanotrucks.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His win as the $1.04 favourite by two lengths over the $10 second fancy The Wildcard took his record at Gloucester Park to four starts for four wins.
“He is unbeaten at Gloucester Park, but I took him to Bunbury first-up and he got rolled (when third behind Wasa Heat Seeker) and I started him in a stand at Pinjarra and he got beaten (when a head second to Skippers Delight),” said Hall.
“He is a nice horse and I think he will be better when he comes back after a spell. At the moment he will keep racing. He has a good bottom to him and is quite fast. He has been trouble free and is a laid-back horse who loves working and racing.”
Miki Jet had an easy time early with a 37.3sec. lead time followed by quarters of 32.7sec. and 30.6sec. before sprinting over the final couple of 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.7sec.
Miki Jet raced 21 times in New Zealand for four wins and eight placings and he now has had 27 starts for eight wins, ten placings and stakes of $77,631. He is by American sire Always B Miki and is the second foal out of unraced mare Clifton Christine, whose elder half-brother Starsky’s Dream raced 26 times in New Zealand for nine wins, eight placings and $50,739 in prizemoney.
Fortune favours Mister Linton
Mister Linton, the $2.90 favourite in the 2130m Catalano Truck And Equipment Sales Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, started from the inside of the back line and was hemmed in on the inside, three back on the pegs in the first 450m.
With Shannon Suvaljko concerned when or whether Mister Linton would be able to get into the clear, $31 chance Maddy Maddy (who was on the outside of, and covering up Mister Linton) broke into a gallop and dropped back, leaving Suvaljko with a heaven-sent opportunity to ease off the inside and gain the highly favourable one-out, one-back position with two laps to travel.
“The horse on the outside of me jumped out of her gear, enabling me to get off the inside,” said Suvaljko. “However, I think I would have been okay if I had to stay on the pegs, with the way the race was run (with Shoot Through running the second and third quarters in 29.4sec. and 29.7sec.).
“I was probably too close to the speed once I got off the rails. He was still a bit underdone (at his second run after a spell) and with smart quarters you had to stay with them. It all worked out well in the end.”
Trainer Mike Reed said that he thought that Mister Linton would have performed a bit better at his second appearance after a seven-month absence. “Maybe his first-up run (when second to Tubbs Farquhar) the previous week took the edge off him,” he said. “He is a good, honest horse.”
Mister Linton, bred and owned by Kim Marsh, is by American sire Sweet Lou and is the only foal out of Maggies Mystery, an Artesian mare who earned $191,796 from 14 wins and 36 placings from 140 starts.
Flying start aids Bramante Steps
A flying start from the No. 6 barrier by Bramante Steps, and the ability of talented reinsman Kyle Harper to get the five-year-old mare to relax immediately and amble through the lead time in 38.9sec. and the opening quarters in 32.3sec. and 30.5sec. paved the way for her win at $21.80 in the 2130m Catalano Truck And Equipment Sales Ugga Dugga Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Sound Wave was the hot $1.26 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier, but the six-year-old was unable to muster sufficient early speed to hold out Bramante Steps, who burst to the front after 80m.
Then with the $6 second favourite Rockaball in the breeze, Sound Wave was hopelessly hemmed in throughout the event before finishing third, with ever seeing daylight. The final 400m sections were covered in 28.7sec. and 28.4sec. and Bramante Steps rated a most leisurely 2min. over the 2130m trip.
Bramante Steps was purchased for $25,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale by Claire McNaughton, who races the mare with her partner, Banjup trainer Murray Lindau. Bramante Steps has now earned $61,274 from eight wins and ten placings from 42 starts.
She is by brilliant pacer Alta Christiano and is the ninth and last foal out of the unraced mare Twisted Art, whose fourth foal is Centrefold Angel, a brilliant mare who retired with earnings of $237,348 from her 14 wins and 15 placings from 47 starts.
Lucca ready for tilt at Easter Cup
Veteran Pinjarra trainer-reinsman Bill Hayes has New Zealand-bred five-year-old Lucca at his peak and ready for a strong performance in the $50,000 Easter Cup, a stand over 2503m next Friday night.
Lucca, the $5 third favourite, warmed up for the group 3 Cup in fine style with an excellent victory in the standing-start WA Foton Diesel At Catalano Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He began from the front line, and after Hector ($2.80) and Steel The Show ($2.35 favourite) galloped and lost ground at the start, Hayes made the most of those misdemeanours by dashing Lucca forward to take the lead from Navy Street ($34) after 400m, leaving Ardens Horizon ($6.50) in the breeze.
After a 29.2sec. third quarter of the final mile Lucca sprinted over the final 400m in 27.7sec. to win by almost a length from Ardens Horizon, with Navy Street a half-length farther back in third place.
Steel the Show, who began from the 10m mark, fought on from seventh at the bell to finish fourth, with Hector in fifth place.
“I thought that Lucca would win if he led,” said Hayes. “But I didn’t expect him to lead. I thought Hector would lead and that Lucca would be outside of him. However, things worked out better for us. “Lucca travelled well all the way, and he is not just a frontrunner. He is capable of coming from behind. A lot depends on how the race is run.
“Ever since we have had him, he has been no trouble, apart from once when he was favourite and had to be scratched when he suffered a minor cut to a stifle which needed only three stitches.”
Lucca has earned $115,941 from 11 wins and 11 placings from 30 starts.
Peterson celebrates new job
Young reinsman Corey Peterson celebrated his first week as a stablehand at trainer Nathan Turvey’s Ravenswood stable by driving Lets Get Rockin to victory in the SEFS The Asset Finance Specialists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The win gave the 23-year-old Peterson his 246TH driving success, and apart from working for Turvey he will continue to train a team of five pacers.
Lets Get Rockin, a six-year-old by Mach Three, is showing excellent promise and his first three starts in WA for the Turvey stable have produced two wins to take his career record to 61 starts for 12 wins, 19 placings and $205,825 in prizemoney.
He raced 49 times in New South Wales for nine wins and 18 placings, and his nine appearances in Queensland resulted in one win and one placing.
Lets Get Rockin showed considerable early promise, with a win in a group 3 feature event for two-year-old colts and geldings at Newcastle in November 2020, and in May 2022 he won a $100,000 group 1 feature event at Menangle.
He is the first foal out of the Sportswriter mare Ravishing Girl, who raced 45 times for nine wins, five placings and $39,798. Ravishing Girl has also produced the brilliant five-year-old Captain Ravishing (18 starts for nine wins, five placings and $518,140) and three-year-old Ravishing Sloy (13 starts for seven wins, two placings and $90,216).
“Corey started working as a stablehand for me this week, and it should be a good opportunity for him,” said Turvey. “He will be doing a fair bit of the stable driving.”
Lets Get Rockin was the third favourite at $5.20 in Friday night’s 2130m event in which he began from the No. 2 barrier on the back line.
Adda Spoilt Major was the $3.40 favourite who surged straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier and withstood an early challenge for the lead from the Turvey-trained mare and $11 chance Rocknroll Sass.
Gary Hall jnr quickly angled Rocknroll Sass to trail the pacemaker, while Lets Get Rockin settled down in ninth position. Lets Get Rockin was in seventh place when Peterson sent him forward with 950m to travel. He sustained a strong three-wide burst to get to the front 300m from home, and he went on to win by a neck from $10 chance Thomson Bay, who followed the winner in the final circuit and fought on determinedly.
Gift pacer gives veteran trainer a lift
Seventy-four-year-old Kevin Nolan is enjoying his involvement in harness racing as a hobby trainer, and he was all smiles when his only horse Maddy Rocks stormed home as a rank outsider to snatch a last-stride victory in the $27,000 Specialised Equipment Funding Solutions Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Maddy Rocks, a six-year-old mare, paid $41.30 for a win on the tote and was a $71 outsider on the fixed market despite her sound form in finishing six thirds, one fourth and a seventh placing from her previous eight starts.
Friday night’s win gave outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko a surprise success after she was engaged to drive Maddy Rocks when her uncle and the mare’s regular driver Callan Suvaljko opted to handle the polemarker Free Wheeling.
Remarkably, Emily Suvaljko’s only previous drive behind Maddy Rocks was when the mare was a $20 chance and scored her previous win, storming home from a seemingly impossible position to get up and beat the fast-finishing Shehadi at Gloucester Park on February 21 last year.
That was a chance drive for Suvaljko, who replaced Aldo Cortopassi, who was committed to handle his own nomination Sister Act, a $2.75 chance who broke early and finished last.
The win on Friday night ended a losing sequence of 27 for Maddy Rocks, who was given to Nolan as a gift as an unraced three-year-old three years ago.
“She was given to me when my son Travis died,” said Nolan. “The owners, who had paid $6000 for her as a yearling, thought she didn’t have the speed necessary to be successful.
“Maddy Rocks hadn’t raced, and it took a long time to get her going. It was her gait, and her manners were shocking. She would hang and pull, and Peter Tilbrook, Trevor Warwick and Aldo Cortopassi helped me to sort her out and get her going.”
Maddy Rocks has proved a handy performer for Nolan, with her 47 starts producing four wins, 14 placings and $51,654 in prizemoney.
Nolan proudly declared after Friday night’s win that only three drivers had handled Maddy Rocks in her races --- Cortopassi and Callan and Emily Suvaljko.
Maddy Rocks is by American sire Pet Rock and is the ninth foal out of the Jet Laag mare Luvya Maddy Lombo, who failed to win in her 16-start career which included nine placings and stakes of $8444. Luvya Maddy Lombo’s half-brother Suave Stuey Lombo was a star pacer who was retired after having had 110 starts for 33 wins, 23 placings and $587,032.
Nolan is best known as the breeder, owner and trainer of Rudlan, who earned $86,360 from 11 wins and ten placings in the 1990s.
He said that Maddy Rocks had always possessed good point-to-point speed and that she would perform well when racing in better-class events.
“That’s why she started in this company, to see how she would handle high speed,” he explained. “And it looks like it has worked.”
Maddy Rocks began from the No. 3 barrier, and she raced in sixth position, four back on the pegs before she finished fast to snatch a head victory from $14 chance Wall Street Girl, who had taken the lead in the final stages.
