For an inexperienced four-year-old pacer making his debut against ten rivals with a combined record of 854 starts for 90 wins, 208 placings and $1,036,259 in stakes, it was indeed a daunting task for the New Zealand-bred Holy Moley when he lined up from barrier one to contest the $21,000 Leading Trainer Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But Holy Moley rose to the occasion in fine style with a striking victory, rating 1.57.9, with the first stake of $12,058 giving his owner Jim Giumelli’s Swandoo syndicate the initial return after Giumelli paid $230,000 to buy the Bettors Delight pacer at the national standardbred yearling sale at the Karaka Sales centre in February 2023.
Holey Moley, trained by Mike Reed and driven by Emily Suvaljko, was the $2.90 favourite who enjoyed an ideal passage behind the pacemaker and five-year-old stablemate Money Boss. After a third quarter of 28.3sec. Holy Moley dashed to the front on the home turn and won by a half-length from $12 chance Haveyoumetted.
“He has a bit to learn,” said Suvaljko. “He got a bit keen at stages, and I also had to wake him up at various stages. It looked like the breeze horse (Gee Smith) was dropping off, so I knew we would be able to come out (off the pegs) at any time. When he hit the front, he got a little bit lost, and I had to keep driving him --- and he went as good as gold.”
Giumelli explained that it hadn’t been all plain sailing with Holy Moley, revealing that the horse had damaged a tendon when being prepared to race as a two-year-old, while his five-year-old stablemate Money Boss suffered tendon damage after finishing fourth in his debut in a race at Pinjarra in June 2024, and on Friday night was having his second start since then.
Money Boss resumed when he set the pace and won at Gloucester Park on Tuesday afternoon, and he was the leader in Friday night’s event before wilting to finish sixth.
Further to the saying that racing is not all a bed of roses is the news that Lavaso, a Bettors Delight filly bought by Giumelli for $150,000 at the 2023 New Zealand yearling sale, will not appear again after finishing sixth behind Gaitcrasher at Pinjarra twelve months ago. Subsequent to that Lavaso suffered an attack of colic and also fractured a leg.
Holy Moley is the sixth foal out of the Mach Three mare Safedra, who raced 48 times for ten wins, 15 placings and $135,577. Just over four years ago Giumelli bought Miss Allegra, the fourth foal out of Safedra who had won at three of her six starts in New Zealand.
Miss Allegra then won at two of her six WA starts as a three-year-old in 2022 before being retired to the breeding barn.
Reed completed a double on Friday night when Shannon Suvaljko drove the $2.10 favourite Mister Linton to victory over the pacemaker Il Bandito ($5.50) in the Team Bond Pace over 2130m.
