Emily does it again
Brilliant young driver Emily Suvaljko is riding on the crest of a surging wave, and she continued her golden run with four winners at Gloucester Park on Friday night to follow her quartet the previous Friday night.
The 24-year-old Suvaljko completed her quartet on Friday night with yet another masterly performance to score with problem young square gaiter Majestic Ga Ga in the $21,000 Westral Verishade Curtains Trot over 2130m.
The victory as the $3.70 second favourite gave Mardella horseman Michael Young his 50TH success for the season, and he completed a double in the following event when Toby George dead-heated for first to extend his lead on the WA trainers’ premiership table, with his tally of 51 wins putting him well clear of Aiden De Campo (38), Greg and Skye Bond (31) and Lang Inwood (30).
“I’m quite surprised,” said Suvaljko. “This has been a bigger shock than it was last week when I had a few nice chances and made the most of them. I’m not sure why I have struck this sort of form, but I have had a few nice drives and I’m probably driving with a bit more confidence.”
Suvaljko said that the four-year-old Majestic Ga Ga, a recent stable acquisition from Victoria, had behaved poorly at her first few starts in WA when she broke in running.
“It has been quite frustrating, and I was holding my breath out there tonight when she did everything right and reeled off some good sectionals,” she said. “In trackwork she doesn’t miss a beat.”
Suvaljko, who was successful earlier in the night with Sound Wave ($14.60), Quinton ($10.70) and Douseeme ($2.90), took her number of winners this season to 53 to be second behind Gary Hall jnr (81) on the State drivers’ premiership table.
Majestic Ga Ga began speedily from out wide at barrier seven before Suvaljko made a split-second decision to restrain the mare and was able to slot her into seventh spot in the one-wide line with $18 chance Mriya Dream setting a solid pace.
Suvaljko sent Majestic Ga Ga forward 850m from home with a three-wide burst, and the mare sprinted strongly to get to the front 300m later before going on to win by a length from Luvaflair ($8), rating 1.59. Patched, the $3.10 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of nine, failed to flatter. He raced wide in the final circuit and just battled on into fifth place.
Majestic Ga Ga, who was purchased for $16,000 earlier this year by a syndicate of Young’s clients, won six times in Victoria, and her one win and two thirds from five WA appearances have improved her record to seven wins and ten placings for stakes of $44,104 from 34 starts.
She is by Canadian sire Majestic Son and is out of the New Zealand-bred mare Arannalea, a winner of four races in New Zealand and one from two starts in Victoria in April 2017.
Young is confident that Majestic Ga Ga will prove as successful as several smart trotters he has prepared, headed by Beefour Bacardi (14 wins) and Evas Image (eight wins).
Majestic Ga Ga’s full-sister Majestic Marion has had 38 starts, all in WA, for five wins, seven placings and $42,756.
Ruby Lovera survives a scare
Star three-year-old filly Ruby Lovera, the hot $1.20 favourite, survived a scare at the start before coasting to an effortless victory in the $50,000 Westral Diamond Classic over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Justin Prentice-trained Ruby Lovera was favourably drawn at the No. 2 barrier, and ace reinsman Gary Hall jnr had to react quickly when the filly put in a couple of rough strides as the mobile barrier sent the field on its way.
Ruby Lovera managed to remain in her pacing gait and set the pace on her way to winning, unextended, by three lengths from $31 chance Gelsomino Amal, rating 1.56.8 after final quarters of 29.2sec. and 28.2sec. Hall did not have to release the earplugs.
“I’m not blaming anything,” explained Hall. “I thought I had judged the start pretty well, but the mobile did not get out of our way, and she got right on top of it and put in a rough one. Thankfully, she didn’t break into a gallop, and she went on to win easily.”
Ruby Lovera, a filly by Sweet Lou, is out of outstanding broodmare Lovera, and she gave Prentice and Hall their second victory in the Diamond Classic for three-year-old fillies, following their success with Majorpride in 2019. Ruby Lovera also won the Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies last year.
Raced by a syndicate of 16, Ruby Lovera has earned $115,738 from five wins and four placings from 12 starts.
Special congratulations are due to Katie Lally, who looked after Prentice’s team of about 15 pacers for the past fortnight while Prentice was enjoying a holiday in Exmouth with his family.
“It’s been stressful, and I am relieved that it has all turned out well,” she said after Friday night’s group 3 event. “Ruby Lovera has been an angel.”
Ruby Lovera will now be set to contest several rich feature events for fillies this year, including the $100,000 Westbred Classic on September 5, the $50,000 Daintys Daughter Classic on September 19 and the WA Oaks on October 3. She is also eligible to run in the $35,000 Daintys Daughter Country Classic at Pinjarra on July 14 and the $30,000 Country Oaks at Bunbury on August 16.
Hall said that Ruby Lovera was now a different horse than she was as a two-year-old, saying: “Not only is she taller but she has filled right out as well. She looked a bit weak as a two-year-old when obviously she had some growing to do. She is more versatile now and has toughness as well.”
Roberts makes the right choice
Deni Roberts was full of praise for Tualou when she drove him to six of his seven wins as a three-year-old last year, but she made the right choice when she opted to handle stablemate Aardiebytheseaside ahead of Tualou in the $31,000 Westral Roller Shutters Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Tualou, who was favourably drawn at barrier two at his first outing for five months, was the $3.20 second fancy with Dylan Egerton-Green in the sulky, while Aardiebytheseaside was the $3 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of six.
Roberts wisely restrained Aardiebytheseaside at the start, realising that the polemarker and $3.70 chance Montana D J was certain to lead, and not wanting to her mare to race without cover.
Montana D J was keen in the score-up and he covered the lead time in a smart 36.5sec., with Tualou caught in the breeze and Aardiebytheseaside relaxing in last position before Roberts eased her three wide 275m from home. Aardiebytheseaside sprinted strongly, burst to the front at the 60m mark and went on to win comfortably by 2m from Montana D J, who ruined his chances by hanging out for most of the way. Tualou wilted to finish sixth.
The final quarters were covered in 28.8sec. and 28.7sec. and Aardiebytheseaside rated 1.55.6. This was her fifth run in her current preparation, and it was her first win as a five-year-old.
Aardiebytheseaside, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has amassed $524,388 in prizemoney from 18 wins and 11 placings from 37 starts, and she is sure to be a leading candidate for the rich feature events for mares, the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on November 7 and the $150,000 Mares Classic on November 21.
“I chose to drive Aardiebytheseaside ahead of Tualou because I thought she was going to get the better trip, and not be too far from them,” said Roberts. “The speed was genuine enough and I didn’t have to get going until late. She let down well and ran a good final quarter.
Roberts and the Bond stable continued in fine form on Saturday night, winning the $35,000 Narrogin Cup with the $1.20 favourite Gee Heza Sport, who raced in the breeze and beat Penny Black by three lengths, rating 1.58.8 over the 2662m trip.
Roberts also was successful with her two other drives at the Narrogin meeting, scoring with the Bond-trained Captains Creek ($1.20) and the Bob Mellsop-trained Swizzlestick ($1.40).
Sound Wave ends a drought
Honest seven-year-old Sound Wave ended a 13-month drought and a losing sequence of 29 when he charged home from the rear to win the $21,000 Westral Plantation Timber Shutters Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $14.60 chance from barrier five, and his prospects appeared remote when he was in 11TH position at the bell. But that didn’t deter Emily Suvaljko, who sent the gelding forward with a three-wide burst with 700m to travel.
Sound Wave sprinted strongly and got to the front in the final 15m to win by a metre from the $2.50 favourite Dawson, who had taken a narrow lead 220m from home after being trapped wide early and then in the breeze, with the polemarker Apologize ($16) setting the pace.
“His past two runs were really good, with his latest run last week (fourth behind Star Casino) putting the writing on the wall,” said Suvaljko.
“They went hard early (with an opening quarter of 28.3sec.) and that boosted my confidence, so I took off early with a horse who normally relies on a 400m kick. The speed was being backed off a bit, so I thought it was time to get going.”
Sound Wave, a $32,500 yearling, is trained at Stoneville by Simon Lowings, and he has now earned $131,177 from ten wins and 26 placings from 91 starts. He is by Mach Three and is the second foal out of Terra Into The West, who raced 79 times for five wins, 26 placings and $59,570.
Terra Into The West is a half-sister to Winforu, who earned $719,204 from 32 wins and 45 placings from 172 starts.
Sugar Apple bounces back
New Zealand-bred six-year-old Sugar Apple went into the $25,000 Westral Meshlock Security Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night with just one placing (a third behind Caberneigh) from his previous ten starts.
But he bounced back to form as a $21.50 chance when Lauren Harper took full advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier and rated the Lindsay Harper-trained gelding to perfection out in front before drawing away to win by two lengths from Prince Of Pleasure ($4/20), with Im The Black Flash ($2.20 favourite) a well beaten third.
Sugar Apple Dshed over the final 400m sections in 28sec. and 28.2sec. and rated 1.56.1.
“We were confident that if he led, he would run 1.56 and prove hard to beat --- and he did,” said Lauren Harper. “He crossed easily and won easily.”
Sugar Apple won once in New Zealand, eight times in New South Wales and once in Victoria before arriving in WA where he has a record of 42 starts for five wins and nine placings. His career record stands at 76 starts for 15 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $159,911.
Sugar Apple is by Sweet Lou and is the third foal out of the unraced Maddisons Delight, whose second foal is American Dealer, winner of the 2021 Queensland Derby and boasting a fine record of 116 starts for 30 wins, 35 placings and $858,225 in prizemoney.
American Dealer won once from six starts as a two-year-old in New Zealand before his 12 Australian starts produced three wins and six placings. He then was sold to America where he has had 98 starts for 26 wins and 29 placings.
Happy memories are revived
Memories of Chris Lewis driving Sea Me Smile for eleven of her 15 wins were revived at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the legendary reinsman guided Sea Me Smile’s second foal Waves Of Fortune, the $2 favourite in the $21,000 Westral Honeycomb Blinds Pace over 1730m.
Waves Of Fortune, a colt by Poster Boy and bred and prepared by Lewis’ wife Debra (who trained Sea Me Smile throughout her 183-start career) set the pace from barrier two and dead-heated for first with $2.45 second fancy Toby George, who finished determinedly after racing in the one-out, one-back position for Gary Hall jnr.
It was indeed a moment to savour, watching the champion reinsmen locked in a titanic battle in the home straight --- and adding to their respective records and combined win totals in excess of 9300 and earnings of $104 million.
“It was hard to tell which horse had won as we crossed the line,” said Lewis. “I think Waves Of Fortune is going to prove a nice, consistent type. He is very relaxed, and this was the first time I had asked him to come out at the start.”
Waves Of Fortune has had three starts for two wins and a second placing, and Toby George has had four starts for three wins and one second. They look set for further exciting battles when they clash in upcoming Westbred feature events.
“Toby George has sorted his greenness out himself, but he is still not a hundred per cent,” said his trainer Michael Young. “He will be better when he figures it all out.”
Lewis has had a strong association with Waves Of Fortune’s ancestors. Apart from his lengthy association with Sea Me Smile (183 starts for 15 wins, 57 placings and $220,136) he has driven the dam and the granddam of Sea Me Smiles.
He drove Rylee Jo, the dam of Sea Me Smiles, twice in that mare’s 95-start career --- for a victory at Gloucester Park on August 8, 1995, when Rylee Jo defeated Iluvuzall, driven by Hall. And Lewis drove Rylee Jo at her final start when she finished third behind Jefferson (driven by Hall) in a 2170m event at Pinjarra on July 2, 2007.
Rylee Jo’s dam, the New Zealand-bred Butlerish was driven by Lewis at two of her 41 starts for a third at Harvey in December 1995 and a second at Katanning in April 1996.
The wife knows best
Prominent WA owner Jim Giumelli was keen to purchase the first foal out of Red Hot Roxy at the 2022 Nutrien yearling sale in Melbourne before he decided to cease bidding at $90,000.
He had already bought three other colts for $100,000, $95,000 and $40,000, but he was urged to change his mind by his wife Wilma, and like a good husband he took her advice and resumed bidding before the Always B Miki colt was knocked down to him for $100,000.
That colt is now a four-year-old gelding who races under the name of Quinton, who gave an impressive performance to win the $23,000 Westral Shadetrack Outdoor Blinds Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I wanted to buy Quinton because his dam Red Hot Roxy had a good reputation as a winner as a young horse,” said Giumelli. “I pulled out of the bidding, but my wife kept signalling to keep going.
“I named the youngster Quinton after a bull I had purchased from Vasse breeder Ken Macleay (who is better known as a highly successful all-rounder for the WA cricket side and a member of four Sheffield Shield winning sides who also played for Australia in 16 limited overs matches).”
Red Hot Roxy was retired to the breeding barn after racing 32 times for 13 wins, eight placings and $162,550 in stakes. She was a brilliant two-year-old in 2016 when she won at four of her seven starts, including the group 1 Sales Classic. Her three wins as a three-year-old included the listed Sales Classic.
Quinton, trained by Mike Reed, was a $10.70 chance from the No. 5 barrier on Friday night when Emily Suvaljko did not bustle him early while the polemarker Auckland Jet ($18) was setting a fast pace before Gary Hall jnr sent the $1.70 favourite Hes Never Been Beta to the lead with 1200m to travel after that pacer had raced three wide early.
Quinton was tenth approaching the bell when Suvaljko sent him forward with a spirited three-wide burst which took him to the front in the final stages to win by a half-length from Hes Never been Beta, rating 1.56.
Quinton now has earned $59,451 from five wins and nine placings from 27 starts.
“I got a bit of luck,” said Suvaljko. “I thought the favourite would be vulnerable, considering the amount of work he had done, and we got a lovely track up.”
Quinton’s stablemate Dark Eyes, who was purchased for $95,000 at the 2022 Melbourne yearling sale, was a $14 chance from the back line in Friday night’s event, and he caught the eye when he was eighth at the bell before flashing home with a late burst to finish fifth.
Douseeme recovers from a fractured leg
Breeder-owner Tracey Massimini and Bunbury trainer John Graham had high hopes of a successful career for Douseeme after she had performed in grand style as a two-year-old late in 2023.
The Alta Christiano filly had led and won a race at Pinjarra by more than four lengths and had been placed behind brilliant youngsters Xceptional Arma and Madam Publisher.
But then her career appeared to be over when she fractured the sesamoid bone in her off hind leg. “The initial diagnosis was that she wouldn’t race again,” said Graham after Emily Suvaljko had driven Douseeme to victory in the $21,000 Westral Quality Since 1973 Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Douseeme was out of action for 17 months before she recovered from her broken leg, and she was making her second appearance on Friday night in her comeback campaign.
She was the $2.90 favourite from the No. 2 barrier, with Suvaljko quickly positioning her in the favourable one-out, one-back position while the polemarker and $4.20 second fancy Diamond World was setting a solid pace.
Suvaljko waited until 700m from home before switching Douseeme three wide, and the four-year-old dashed to the front with 425m to travel.
Back On Line ($19) was 11TH at the bell and he ran home fast out five wide to finish second, a half-head from the winner.
“She hit the front and then didn’t know what to do,” said Suvaljko. “She is still very inexperienced.”
Graham said that he was getting Douseeme ready to race as a three-year-old when she fractured her sesamoid. “She bucked in her yard and kicked the bottom of the steel gate and fractured her off hind leg,” he said. “She seems alright now.”
Douseeme is the third foal out of the Live Or Die mare Nowuseemelive, who had two starts in December 2013 for a third at Bunbury and a win at Harvey before breaking down and being retired.
Nowuseemelive is out of Nowuseemenowudont, who had 65 starts for 16 wins, 20 placings and $116,931. Nowuseemenowudont’s dam Nowuseeme won the group 3 Race For Roses in May 2009 which was one of her nine metro-class victories in a career of 88 starts which produced 23 wins, 25 placings and $287,234 in prizemoney.
Lion Queen is on the march
Lion Queen, who has lived in the shadow of her illustrious stablemate Water Lou since they clashed on debut at Pinjarra on January 23, 2023, is on the march and is showing all the signs of developing into a prime candidate in the rich feature events for mares in November.
Henley Brook trainer Mike Reed has Lion Queen progressing nicely, and the four-year-old gave a sample of her class at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she crushed her rivals in the $25,000 Go One Better With Westral Pace over 2130m.
She was a $5.30 chance from the awkward draw at No. 6 against highly-regarded four-year-old geldings Alta Tribute ($1.55) and Vegas Strip ($6).
Reputations counted for nothing as Lion Queen, driven expertly by Shannon Suvaljko, won by ten metres from Alta Tribute, rating a slick 1.54 with the 400m sections of the final mile whizzing by in 29.5sec., 29.1sec., 28sec. and 28.3sec. Vegas Strip raced at the rear and finished eighth.
Lion Queen raced three wide early before Suvaljko eased her into the one-out, one-back position behind the breeze horse Stormyskyes ($20). Alta Tribute was restrained back to last from the outside barrier at No. 9, and when that pacer surged forward, three wide, approaching the bell, Suvaljko pulled Lion Queen out into a three-wide position ahead of Alta Tribute.
Lion Queen swept to the front at the 450m and careered away to win effortlessly. Suvaljko revealed that he had been contemplating leading with Lion Queen, but he changed his mind shortly before the start.
“I watched Stormyskyes in the preliminary when he was sprinted up, and I thought he was likely to lead (from barrier three), so I was happy to race with a sit,” said Suvaljko.
Reed said that Lion Queen would keep racing through the classes, leading up to the Norms Daughter Classic and the Mares Classic in November.
He explained that Lion Queen had been raced sparingly because she had cut a sheath of a tendon as a two-year-old and was out of action for 16 months.
Before that injury Lion Queen had raced three times for a third placing behind Water Lou on debut at Pinjarra, followed by wins at Pinjarra and Gloucester Park. Water Lou led when both fillies were on debut, with Lion Queen, driven by Colin Brown finishing third after racing in the breeze.
“Colin said that Water Lou would never beat Lion Queen again,” said Reed. “Lion Queen was the favourite ahead of Water Lou for the $100,000 Sales Classic for two-year-olds in March 2023, but she had to be scratched after her tendon injury, and Water Lou was the favourite who led and won the classic.”
Water Lou has excelled on the track and now has a splendid record of 21 wins and five placings for stakes of $434,289 from 33 starts, while Lion Queen has had only 16 starts for seven wins, six placings and $93,340.
Bettors Pride is a Nugget hope
Victorian-bred four-year-old Bettors Pride has had a chequered career and is an inexperienced pacer with only ten starts under his belt.
But he has the ability to develop into a strong contender for the $200,000 Golden Nugget Championship on November 7, according to his trainer Mike Reed.
Bettors Pride was unable to race as a two-year-old and then had only two starts the following season before resuming this year as an immature four-year-old.
He excelled at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was tested at his first attempt over 2536m when he scored a fighting victory in the $27,000 Westral Window Blinds Pace. The Nugget is decided over the testing 2536m journey.
He began from barrier four as a $4.20 chance when he raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing determinedly to win by a half-head from $8.50 chance Star Casino, rating 1.56.7 after the quarters of the final mile being run in 29.7sec., 28.7sec., 28.8sec. and 29sec.
Acushla Machree ($5) overraced in front before fading to finish fifth, while experienced six-year-old Star Casino maintained his splendid form to fight out the finish after working hard in the breeze.
“I always though Bettors Pride would be a good 2500m horse,” said his reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “He is inexperienced and is still learning the caper, but I’m sure he will graduate to Free-For-Alls; he’s right up to that class. Mike has always had a huge opinion of him.”
“I think he is almost due for a bit of a break, but I need to sit down and work out a program leading into the Golden Nugget; that’s what I want to set him for. And the distance will suit him.
“As an early two-year-old he didn’t know what it was (racing) all about. He would sit behind them, and he’d look around. So, I suggested to owners Jim and Willie Giumelli to spell him and bring him back as a three-year-old.
“But after that he got a bad abscess in a foot and blew half his frog away, so I had to turn him out again. He finally made his debut at Northam in June 2024 when he won by more than twelve lengths.”
Bettors Pride has now raced ten times for five wins, one second placing and $50,999 in prizemoney. He is by bettors delight and is the eighth foal out of Queensland-bred mare Art Start, who raced 56 times in modest company for 14 wins, 12 placings and $45,936.
It is hoped that Bettors Pride will continue to improve and follow in the footsteps of his elder half-brother (by Rock N Roll Heaven) Expensive Ego, a winner of four group 1 events and earning $992,307 from 25 wins and 13 placings from 57 starts.
