Howie is happy to oblige
There was virtually no interest in lot 604 at the 2019 APG Perth yearling sale when the Auckland Reactor filly was passed in without reaching her $10,000 reserve price tag.
Prominent Hopeland breeder Mike Howie received no offers after the sale, so he was happy to oblige by keeping her and train her himself. He left the sale quite content that of the eight previous yearlings he had offered, seven had been sold for a total of $144,500.
This was a sound decision because the filly, now the six-year-old mare Secret Reaction, raced by Howie’s wife Sharron, boosted her earnings to $93,601 when Aiden De Campo drove her to an impressive victory in the $30,000 Coulson Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Secret Reaction has been an honest performer who has enjoyed a racing career of 96 starts for nine wins and 15 placings.
She is the eighth foal out of Secret Operative, a mare Howie bred from the unraced Golden Greek mare Myonos Gold.
“Secret Operative had only a handful of starts before she fractured a knee and had to be retired,” said Howie. Her six starts in 2005 and 2006 produced one placing, a second at Kellerberrin, before becoming an excellent brood mare who has produced six winners of a total of fifty races.
The best of Secret Operative’s foals has been Secret Operation, who earned $134,058 from 17 wins and 33 placings from 108 starts.
Secret Reaction is the eighth and final foal out of Secret Operative. She has drawn barrier No. 4 in race eight at Pinjarra on Monday, a 1177m dash, with Howie saying she would contest the race providing she pulled up well after her run on Friday night.
“She showed her liking for the lightning lap sprint when she finished a half-length second to Blazing Reactor three starts ago,” said Howie. “She is close to the end of her racing career as she is in foal to King Of Swing.”
Secret Reaction was a $13.30 chance from barrier three, and De Campo stole a march on his rivals by getting the mare away to a fast start and then getting her to relax with a slow lead time of 38.6sec. and casual opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 30.3sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 29.7sec. She rated 1.59.7.
Our Lady Jen, the $2.15 favourite from barrier four, was in the breeze until Chambray ($23) charged forward with a three-wide burst from the rear to assume the position outside of the pacemaker after about a lap. Our Lady Jen then was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the final lap and was a most unlucky ninth.
“Secret Reaction got across to lead without too much trouble,” said De Campo. “When they (Jackie Daniels and Tiger Lou) strode up three deep at the bell we had our main dangers one-one (Our Lady Jen) and three back on the fence (Pocket The Change) and I just stacked them up around the (final) corner which made it nice and easy for us.”
Lavra Joe shows more interest
Star pacer Lavra Joe was much more switched on when he contested the $31,000 Aardiebytheseaside Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night than he was when he won the previous Friday night.
“He felt more interested than he was a week earlier,” said driver Maddison Brown. “And he felt like he really wanted to be there. He is still big in condition, but he has trimmed up over the past week.
“The one thing that concerned me before the race was that he wouldn’t attack the line. But he travelled well and hit the line pretty good.”
Lavra Joe was the $2.20 second fancy from barrier six, with four-year-old Lusaka the $1.85 favourite from the No. 2 barrier.
Lusaka, driven hard by Deni Roberts, got his neck in front early but was unable to cross the polemarker and $13 chance Hillview Bondi. Lavra Joe was trapped out wide in the early stages before dropping back to last in the field of seven.
Brown made a snap decision to dash Lavra Joe forward, three wide, after 520m, and the WA-bred six-year-old moved to the breeze after a lap, with Brown happy to let him relax in the breeze almost two lengths from the pacemaker.
Lavra Joe finished strongly to get to the front 100m from the post and he won by a half-length from Hillview Bondi, with Lusaka a metre back in third place. The final 800m was covered in 57.4sec. and Lavra Joe rated 1.56.1 over 2130m.
“I had no intention of leading,” explained Brown. “I expected Hillview Bondi to lead from barrier one, with Lusaka in the breeze. I knew Hillview Bondi would bowl along, and I thought that if I went forward to the breeze, it would give Lusaka the one-one sit and prove to be a big danger.
“But when Lusaka had done so much work early, I decided to go to the breeze earlier than I had planned.”
Owner-trainer Ray Jones was pleased with Lavra Joe’s performance, and he said that the gelding would continue racing in Free-For-Alls. “Runs like that tonight will get him fitter,” he said. “He is still heavy but a bit lighter than he was last week.”
Lavra Joe now has earned $790,734 from 35 wins (27 at Gloucester Park) and 17 placings from 79 starts.
Egerton-Green changes plans
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green admitted that his initial plan was to race outstanding filly Nase Vira with a sit in the $21,000 Minstrel Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But he made a split-second decision soon after the start to dash forward with Nase Vira, the $1.60 favourite from out wide at barrier eight.
“The plan was to sit up,” he said. “We were three wide early and then I slotted in with Nase Vira in the one-wide line. But we stayed there for about three strides before I decided to put the hammer down because of the way the race was going.
“I thought it was the best time to get into it. Kyle Symington kicked up (with Sheza Sassy Lassy) and we had to burn a bit more than I had expected. But to the credit to the horse, she got the job done.”
Sheza Sassy Lassy ($14) took the lead 700m after the start before Nase Vira got to the front 1050m from home and went on to win by 2m from $18 chance Relatively Arma, with that filly’s stablemate Xceptional Arma coming from last in the middle stages to finish an excellent third.
Nase Vira, who rated 1.57.6 over the 2130m journey, has raced 21 times for seven wins, four seconds and $92,488. She is by Alta Christiano and is out of Live Or Die mare Sovereign Faith, who had 75 starts for 15 wins, 24 placings and $132,719 in prizemoney. Sovereign Faith won four times in New Zealand and seven times in New South Wales before her final 24 starts were in WA for four wins for trainer Ray Williams and reinsman Nathan Turvey.
Easy for Ventura
Up-and-coming New Zealand-bred five-year-old Ventura maintained his splendid form and was not extended in winning the $23,000 Catch A Wave Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Trained and driven by Gary Hall jnr, Ventura, the $1.40 favourite from the No. 5 barrier, raced without cover for the first lap before going to the front and setting a modest pace. He then sprinted over the final 400m in 28.3sc. and beat his stablemate Dalvey Robyn ($6.50), who ran home strongly after enjoying a perfect trip in the one-out, one-back position.
“I was pretty confident of winning with Ventura in that sort of grade,” said Hall. “What he does at home and what I have felt him do in races suggests that he is better than just good.
“I’ve managed a few little issues he does have, and he looks set to run in Free-For-Alls after another couple of wins.”
Ventura has shone in WA where his 18 starts have produced ten wins and four placings, taking his career record to 33 starts for 12 wins, nine placings and $108,620. He is by The Gold Ace and is the fifth foal out of Union Guy mare Zitura.
Soho Firestone thrives on racing
Star trainer Kim Prentice and reinsman Mitch Miller completed a double when Soho Firestone, the $1.60 favourite from the No. 3 barrier, carried too many guns for his rivals when he scored an easy win in the $21,000 Cyclone Jordy Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The American Ideal horse has thrived on a heavy program of racing in 2024, with his 27 starts as a four-year-old this year producing four wins, six seconds and two thirds, taking his record to 53 starts for 12 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $145,359.
“He has had a long campaign, and this win was a good reward for the horse,” said Miller, who had combined with Prentice to win with Franco Ecuador earlier in the night.
“Soho Firestone got away with a fair bit early, and if he wasn’t winning from there then he would’ve been a long way off his best. I would’ve liked it if he had got home a bit better. Perhaps I’m being super fussy. He is probably not quite at his peak at the moment.”
Soho Firestone, who had been unplaced at his previous six starts in considerably stronger company, set the pace with a dawdling lead time of 38.8sec. and casual opening quarters of 31.5sec. and 30.6sec. before he dashed over the final 800m in 56.2sec. to win at a 1.58.7 rate. He beat $8 chance Rascal by two lengths.
Mandown unbeaten in stands
New Zealand-bred four-year-old Mandown remained unbeaten in standing-start races when he was untroubled to stroll to victory in the 2503m Madam Publisher Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Mandown was a hot $1.04 favourite, but trainer-reinsman Gary Hall jnr had to overcome some moments of concern before the start, following the late withdrawal of Cheddar Is Better, who was found to be lame in the near hind leg during the preliminary.
Mandown was drawn at the No. 1 barrier on the front line, with Cheddar Is Better the only other runner off the front.
Hall was hoping that Mandown would step away smoothly with a runner on his outside, but when he was left as the only front-line runner, he was worried that Mandown could bungle the start.
However, Mandown began smoothly, and he was not extended in setting the pace and winning by two lengths from $9.50 chance Mister Montblanc, who ran home strongly after racing in fifth position, three back on the pegs.
“With Mandown being off the front on his own it was a concern,” said Hall after the race. “He wasn’t as quick out as he was from barrier five three starts earlier when he was having his first run in a stand. But he paced away smoothly, and that was all he had to do, really.”
Mandown, a winner at two of his 16 starts in New Zealand, has thrived under Hall’s care and his nine WA starts have produced six wins and a second placing, taking his career record to 25 starts for eight wins, seven placings and $77,436.
Emily’s purple patch
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko paved the way for Navy Street’s win in the 2130m Christopher Dance Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night by getting the five-year-old away to a flying start from the No. 5 barrier.
Navy Street, owned and trained by Karen Thompson, was a $7.20 chance who relished his frontrunning role when he beat the strong-finishing Lets Get Rockin ($4.20) and Middlepage ($10).
Navy Street’s victory came in the middle of a remarkable golden streak for the 24-year-old Suvaljko.
She travelled down to Albany where she had six drives on Saturday night for four wins --- with Vintage Blu, Heez A Vibe, Lets Rock Tonight and Shoal Bay --- to give her 14 winners in the space of nine days.
Her purple patch began at Albany last Friday week when she landed a treble with Princess Katie, Heez A Vibe and My Ultimate Chevron, and this was followed by a win with Lord Publisher at Gloucester Park the following night, a double with Cyclone Kadabramelia and El Schiuma at Pinjarra three days later, and a treble with Elsamay, Ripper View and Veeforvictory at Busselton on Boxing Day.
“Navy Street has good gate speed but on paper there appeared plenty of gate speed on his inside,” said Suvaljko. “But he flew away and won it at the start. He probably didn’t travel quite as good as I wanted him to; he’s a bit laid back when he is in front, and he waits for them a bit.”
Mrs Thompson has no regrets at her decision to buy Navy Street for $11,000 last March, with the gelding now having had 24 starts for her for three wins, three placings and $40,640 in prizemoney.
Navy Street, who ended a losing sequence of eleven, has earned $115,362 from 13 wins and 13 placings from 67 starts. He is by American sire Hes Watching and is the fourth foal out of the unraced mare Life Of Bryne.
He is related to several top-class WA pacers, including Remit, Whitbys Miss Penny, Ace Of Whitby, Whitby Timer, Whitby Heritage, Whitby Merit, Montana Anna and Aikido Whitby.
Im Spiderman spins his web
Veteran horseman Russell Smith gave Im Spiderman twelve trials in 2018 and 2019 before giving the gelding his first start, as a three-year-old at Pinjarra in February 2019, when he began from the back line and worked hard before winning easily.
Smith and his son Dalton bred and own Im Spiderman, who is still racing with admirable enthusiasm as a late eight-year-old --- and he boosted his earnings to $109,768 when Jocelyn Young drove him to victory in the 2130m Goodbye 2024 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Im Spiderman, the $3.60 favourite, began from barrier four, dashed to the front after 100m and went on to win by a half-length from $8 chance Major Freeway, who battled on gamely after racing in the breeze and casting his off-hind shoe.
With Russell Smith, a retired prison officer and wool classer, keen to enjoy some of his favourite pastimes, including travelling, he handed over the preparation of Im Spiderman to Mundijong trainer Terry Atkins in August 2023, and the gelding has had 23 starts for Atkins for three wins.
Smith said that Im Spiderman, a sturdy and good-natured pacer, thrived on racing, just as his dam Caseys Best did in a career of 159 starts for 14 wins, 34 placings and $103,629 in prizemoney. Caseys Best won eight races at Globe Derby Park before notching another six wins in WA.
Smith and his son also bred Im Batman, who retired three years ago with a record of 164 starts for 15 wins, 29 placings and $120,217. Smith retains fond memories of winning city races in the 1970s with Mighty Mirage and Roan Court.
The 78-year-old Atkins has only three pacers in his stable --- Im Spiderman and smart three-year-old fillies I Cross My Heart and Copy Of Paris. From 48 starters in 2024 Atkins has won seven races --- three with Im Spiderman and two each with his fillies.
Highlights of his career include winning the group 2 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings with Moto Perpetuo in February 2008, and the group 3 Kalgoorlie Cup with Blissful Snag in September 2009.
Franco Ecuador shows his class
Seven-year-old Franco Ecuador has been plagued by bad luck, and his owner Rob Watson and trainer Kim Prentice are hopeful that he will remain sound and win many more races.
The New Zealand-bred gelding is on the comeback trail and made his fourth appearance in his current campaign when he showed his considerable class with a superb victory in the 1730m Mister Smartee Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $15.10 chance from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and raced at the rear while the $1.20 favourite Skylord was flying along in the lead.
Skylord looked a certain winner when he led clearly in the back straight in the final circuit, with Franco Ecuador well back in eighth position with 550m to travel.
Mitch Miller then urged Franco Ecuador forward and the gelding sprinted powerfully to charge to the front on the home turn and race away to win by four and a half lengths from the wilting Skylord, rating a smart 1.54.6.
“This was probably the first time that he had been sat up in a race,” said Prentice. “When he drew the back line, we thought it was a good thing, and we hoped that they would run along, and when he pulled out, he sprinted very quickly.”
Watson purchased Franco Ecuador in March 2018, and the pacer arrived in WA 12 months later, and he made a successful debut when Prentice drove him to a ten and a half-length victory over Siringo at Pinjarra on December 9, 2019. He won again at Pinjarra a week later, and at his sixth start in a race he finished a close third behind Patronus Star and Major Martini in the WA Derby.
But soon after the Derby Franco Ecuador fractured his off-side hind pastern when jogging. Screws were inserted in the pastern, and after a 21-month absence he resumed racing with a first-up second to Ima Fivestar General followed by two wins in February 2022.
Franco Ecuador then damaged his off fore suspensory ligament which kept him out of action for two years. He reappeared with an effortless win at Bunbury in February this year, and he now boasts a record of 22 starts for nine wins and five placings for earnings of $100,094.
The sky appears the limit for Franco Ecuador, providing he remains injury free.
Franco Ecuador is by American sire A Rocknroll Dance and is the second foal out of the unraced Changeover mare Edinburgh Franco. His half-brother Franco Edward also was a brilliant pacer before his career was cut short by injury.
Franco Edward, trained and driven by Kyle Harper, earned $221,468 from eleven wins and five placings from 18 starts before tendon damaged forced his retirement. His wins included the group 1 features the Pearl Classic and Golden Slipper in the winter of 2018.
