Franco Motu Is A Nullarbor Hope
Lightly raced but richly talented five-year-old Franco Motu is an outside hope of contesting the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race on April 17.
That’s the latest news from the powerful Gary Hall Snr stable after Gary Hall Jnr had driven the New Zealand-bred pacer to an impressive victory in the Trotsynd Shares Available Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Halls combined to win the Nullarbor in April last year with the brilliant Mister Smartee. But that wonderful pacer is on the sidelines, recovering from a tendon injury.
“We have a slot but haven’t chosen a horse yet,” said Hall Jnr. “We are running out of time, and there is a slim possibility that Franco Motu will run in the Nullarbor. We have been tossing up whether he would be good enough.”
Franco Motu was the $2.50 favourite from the 40m mark in Friday night’s race, run in wet and muddy conditions. He settled in seventh position before Hall sent him forward to gain the favourable one-out, one-back position, with Eclipse Line ($5.50) setting the pace from Chase Me ($7) in the breeze and My Silver Spoon ($4.20) enjoying the sit behind the pacemaker.
Franco Motu surged to the front with about 200m to travel and he careered away to win by five lengths from My Silver Spoon after the final three 400m sections were run in 28.7sec., 28.8sec. and 28.8sec.
“It is hard to win these races from back marks, and Franco Motu went super,” said Hall.
Franco Motu, a gelding by Always B Miki, was making his first appearance for 20 weeks, and he is sure to derive great benefit from his first-up outing. An easy winner at his two runs in New Zealand, he has had ten starts in WA for six wins and a third placing for career earnings of $130,053.
He gave an example of his class when he won the Group 2 Four-Year-Old Classic last October, beating Alta Tribute and Waverider and rating 1.55.6 over 2130m.
Franco Motu’s three-year-old full-brother Proposition Joe also won at his only two starts in New Zealand, and his first three starts in WA have produced a win and two seconds.
First Metro Win After 40 years
Heavy rain was tumbling down at 10.20 pm on Friday and there was not a spectator in sight when the eleven runners were sent on their way in the $21,000 Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park.
But it proved a significant moment in harness racing for veteran Waroona trainer Ray Woodley, who was all smiles after $7.30 chance Arum had charged home from last at the bell to score an easy victory.
Arum, a ten-year-old gelding having only his 20TH start in a race, gave Woodley his first success in a metropolitan-class event.
“That’s my first city-class win after 40 years in the game,” said 66-year-old Woodley. “I’ve had horses who have run places in metro races over the years.”
Woodley, who has won country-class races at Gloucester Park with Screamin Wolf, Birubi Babe and Full Swing, said it was quite remarkable that Arum was racing, let alone winning in the city.
Arum made his racing debut as a nine-year-old when he finished eighth in a race at Pinjarra in May last year before he won at his next appearance, beating Grin Destiny over 2130m in a country-stakes race at Gloucester Park on July 8.
“He was a forgotten horse, and it is a long story, relating how he just got lost in the system,” said Woodley. “I prepared him for racing as a four-year-old, but he couldn’t pace. He just wanted to trot all the time and was virtually abandoned.
“Then, a couple of years ago his owner Leigh Milewicz got cancer, and after treatment she told me that she would love to see her horse race. I said ‘okay, fair enough, I’ll do my best and see what we come up with.’
“He had seven or eight preparations, and finally he began to pace and started sailing along. He is sound and has now won four times from 20 starts (earning $36,400) and he should win more races.
“He still gets a bit stressed, and even though he is ten, he has the brain of a two-year-old. But he is getting better. Tonight, was his first run in the rain and on a wet track, and he handled that all right.”
Arum began from the No. 6 barrier and Toby Lynn gave him ample time to settle down at the rear while $18 chance Jamie Kim was setting the pace after resisting an early challenge from $5.50 chance Sugar Street.
Getn Wiggy Withit ($7) dashed forward from the rear and led by a half-length with 1100m to travel but was unable to cross to the front. Finally, he took the lead with about 220m to go before wilting to finish fourth. Arum sustained a powerful burst and went four wide approaching the home turn before dashing away to win by two lengths from the $4.60 favourite Lord Publisher.
“Arum worked well during the week, and I told Toby he would win,” said Woodley. “He had put the writing on the wall with his two previous runs earlier in the month when he was a $201 outsider who came from last to finish second to State My Case and then was a $126 chance when fourth behind Ta In Advance.”
Arum is by American sire Cams Fool and is the fifth and last foal out of Art Major mare Zoe Rose, a failure on the racetrack with one third placing (at Bunbury) from seven starts on South-West tracks.
“The reason why he was named Arum is because after the night he was born at my place in Waroona I couldn’t find him,” said Woodley. “I was looking everywhere and was beginning to panic before I discovered him at 4am lying in a patch of Arum lilies, with the mare 20 metres away.”
Justcallmemiki Is Just Too Good
Classy pacer Justcallmemiki enhanced his claims for a start in the Nullarbor slot race on April 17 when he proved far too good for his rivals in the $31,000 Trotsynd, Join The Fun Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He is now a much better and a far more mature horse than he was when he drew out wide and raced at the rear before finishing last behind Mister Smartee in the Nullarbor in April last year.
Justcallmemiki, the $3.30 favourite, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven aggressively by Deni Roberts, coasted to victory over $8.50 chance Como El Viento, who finished solidly after enjoying a perfect trip behind the pacemaker Eldaytona ($12) in Friday night’s race.
It was a splendid performance by Justcallmemiki at his second appearance after a 14-week absence. It was his eighth win from 16 starts in WA and took his record to 28 starts for 12 wins, four placings and $270,500.
Roberts seized the initiative early when she dashed Justcallmemiki forward from the outside barrier in the field of eight to move to the breeze.
“I worked out early that the breeze was available, and considering it was very hard to come from behind on the wet track I was happy to go forward,” said Roberts. “Justcallmemiki is so versatile, he can do a bit of work, and he can sprint up very well.
“When he gets up in grade, I expect him to be a bit more of a sit-sprinter. But while he is making his way up, it’s good to use his versatility.”
Justcallmemiki’s win completed a double for Roberts and the Bond stable, following the success of Mad Monday in the Tickets On Sale For The TABtouch Nullarbor Pace over 2130m.
Mad Monday, the heavily supported $1.70 favourite, began from barrier four and got to the front after 300m before setting a brisk pace. He sprinted over the final 800m in 55.5sec. and won by 2m from last year’s WA Derby winner Runkle Crunch ($5) who fought on gamely after racing without cover. The winner rated 1.55.8.
“I think Mad Monday is a lot better than I thought he was,” said Roberts. “He went even better than he did when he won first-up two weeks earlier. He is still a bit on the green side, and he likes to cruise around.”
Mad Monday is sure to be a leading candidate for the $100,000 Preux Chevalier Classic for four-year-olds on April 17 as well as several rich feature events for that age group later in the year.
Cortopassi’s 100% Record
Boyanup trainer Aldo Cortopassi brought two mares to Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he travelled back home a happy man after he had driven Bazaar Package ($9.70) and Vinita Rose ($6.10) to decisive victories in the space of 25 minutes.
And for good measure, he took Bazaar Package to Bunbury’s Donaldson Park track on Saturday night when the mare sat behind the pacemaker and hot favourite Lazy Dais (driven by Ajay Markham for trainer Ryan Bell) and finished gamely to finish second to that talented four-year-old, who sped over the final 800m in 54.1sec.
Bazaar Package began from the back line in the 2130m Trotsynd Syndicate Pace at Gloucester Park when she raced in the breeze before drawing away in the closing stages to win by a length from the frontrunning My Copy, the $3.10 favourite.
Bazaar Package has now raced 45 times for seven wins, 13 placings and $99,459 in prizemoney and is proving a good moneyspinner for owners Bob and Ruth Poolman, who purchased the pacer for $17,000 at the 2022 Perth APG yearling sale.
Bazaar Package, bred by Mike Howie, is by Ultimate Machete, a brilliant pacer who earned $823,896 from 13 wins and 11 placings from 32 starts. He raced four times at Gloucester Park in the summer of 2017-18 for three wins and a fourth.
His wins included two at Group 1 level, the Four-Year-Old Classic (beating Handsandwheels) and the Golden Nugget (beating Maczaffair). He went on to finish fourth behind My Hard Copy, Lazarus and Chicago Bull in the Fremantle Cup in January 2018.
Bazaar Package is the fourth foal out of Secret Dragon, a Sutter Hanover mare who had 60 starts for nine wins, 13 placings and stakes of $63,819. She was retired after winning her only metropolitan-class race, at Gloucester Park in November 2015.
Vinita Rose began from barrier seven in the 2130m TABtouch Punters Club Pace in which she raced wide before Cortopassi sent her to the front after 450m. After modest opening quarters of 32.2sec. and 30.2sec. Vinita Rose sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.8sec. and won by a length from $4.80 chance Sugar Shake, who fought on doggedly after working hard in the breeze.
The New Zealand-bred Vinita Rose has been racing in excellent form and has now earned $76,647 from seven wins and 15 placings from 40 starts.
“Vinita Rose can also sit and sprint, and in feature events for mares she should be competitive by racing behind the leader or three back on the pegs,” said Cortopassi.
Delightful Peg Excites Hall
Delightful Peg maintained her unbeaten record in WA when she gave a stylish frontrunning display to win the $25,000 $9 Pints Every Friday Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred four-year-old mare, trained by Gary Hall Snr, impressed her reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who said: “I’m excited by her, and she should continue to get better, and long-range plans include the Norms Daughter Classic and the Mares Classic later in the year.”
Delightful Peg, who shared favouritism at $2.90 with Fakenit and Penny Black, won the start from the No. 2 barrier and resisted an early challenge from Penny Black to set the pace, with moderate opening quarters of 31.2sec. and 29.1sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 28.5sec.
She went on to win by a metre from Fakenit, who finished fast at her first outing for five months, after enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position, following Penny Black, who finished third.
“We thought that with her racing pattern, leading and with Penny Black outside of us and keeping Delightful Peg honest would suit us,” said Hall Jnr. “And I’m surprised that she kicked away from Penny Black.”
Delightful Peg’s three wins from three WA starts have improved her record to 23 starts for six wins, three seconds and $89,935. She was the first leg of a driving treble for Hall Snr and Hall Jnr, who were successful later in the wintry night with Franco Motu and A Little Silence.
Miss Leopatra, a New Zealand-bred Bettors Delight three-year-old filly, completed a hat-trick of wins at Gloucester Park when she was a $7.10 chance from barrier six in the 1730m Book Into Steelo’s Pace.
Miss Leoptra, driven by Jocelyn Young for trainer Cameron Ross, was inconvenienced soon after the start when Typhoon Treasure paced roughly and broke, causing several runners to race wide. Sovereign Jewel ($23) led for the first 300m before Young sent Miss Leopatra to the front. She sped over the final quarters in 28.4sec. and 28.2sec. and won by 2m from the $2.05 favourite Wishing Belle, who finished determinedly from fourth with 220m to travel after racing in the one-out, one-back position.
Kyle Symington drove his first Gloucester Park winner since returning from a five-month stint of harness racing in America when the Ryan Bell-trained New Zealand-bred eight-year-old Tiger Royal revealed his toughness by racing in the breeze before getting to the front 380m from home and beating the $2.40 favourite Belly Up by a length in the 2130m TABtouch Nullarbor Pace.
Tiger Royal, a $5.20 chance from the No. 3 barrier, ended a losing sequence of 16, stretching back to May 2 last year when Symington brought him home with a well-timed burst from three back on the pegs to beat The Miki Taker and Lusaka in the Fremantle Cup Consolation over 2936m.
