Cup Is A Family Affair
Octogenarian trainer Ray Williams was overjoyed at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he continued a family tradition by winning the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup with outstanding pacer Magnificent Storm.
Williams is not positive but is pretty much convinced that the R. J. L. Williams, who prepared Monty Blue for his victory in the 1935 Fremantle Cup, is his late grandfather.
And since then, the 1965 Cup was won by Ell Boom, trained and driven by Fred Doy, whose daughter Dot is the wife of Ray Williams; and the 2007 Cup winner Shardons Aflyin was trained by Williams’ son Grant.
My initials are R. J. L. (Raymond John Leslie) and I’m sure that the trainer of Monty Blue was my late grandfather,” said Ray Williams. “And now I can’t believe I’ve got a horse like Magnificent Storm at my age (80).”
Nine-year-old Magnificent Storm has now been sent for a well-deserved spell, and Dot and Ray Williams are looking forward to a two-week relaxing holiday in Bali with one of Magnificent Storm’s part-owners Peter Morris and his partner Donna.
Magnificent Storm, the $1.90 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, enjoyed an ideal run in front, with a slow lead time and moderate opening quarters of the final mile in 31sec. and 29.5sec. before giving the opposition very little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 26.7sec.
“Those final sections are unbelievable; and it’s pretty hard to catch a horse who is running those times,” said Williams.
Mighty Ronaldo ($16) raced wide in the early stages before getting to the breeze, a position he relinquished after 450m to Nullarbor slot race winner Max Delight ($12), who raced in the breeze until Ubetcha Tigerpie ($31) assumed the position 700m after the start.
Golden Lode, who shared $8 second favouritism with Triedtotellya, after stablemate Minstrel was scratched on the morning of the race, suffering from a hoof abscess, trailed Magnificent Storm throughout and battled on manfully on the inside to finish second, with Max Delight a head away in third place.
The winner rated 1.58.8 over the 2936m journey and took his record to 78 starts for 48 wins, 15 placings and $1,802,287.
“You are always on the cautious side leading into a big race,” said Magnificent Storm’s driver Aiden De Campo. “I thought that there was going to be a few horses making moves early and wanting to get forward.
“But when he got the first lap as comfortable as he did, and was travelling as strong as he was, he felt the winner a long way out. It’s credit to Ray and Robbie (managing owner Rob Tomlinson) and everyone who has looked after the horse.
“It hasn’t been easy with him over the years when he missed a few of these (major) races and has gone sore. So, it’s good to get one on board. He has been a brilliant horse who has taken the owners on a ride, and they are all excited.”
De Campo has formed a wonderful association with Magnificent Storm, having driven him 32 times for 21 wins, four seconds, two thirds and five unplaced efforts.
Captain Ravishing Set For Inters
Captain Ravishing will be set for the Interdominion Championship at Brisbane’s Albion Park in July after returning to his best form with a stylish victory in the $31,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup Consolation over 2936m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The lightly-raced New South Wales-bred seven-year-old was the $4.20 favourite when he began from the No. 1 barrier, with 22-year-old Kylah Madden opting to surrender the lead after just 250m to the $4.60 second fancy Bettors Pride.
Shannon Suvaljko set a solid pace with Bettors Pride, with the opening quarters of the final mile in 29.8sec. and 29.5sec. before sprinting over the final 800m in 56.6sec.
Madden eased Captain Ravishing off the pegs with 220m to travel and the gelding took the lead 50m from the post before winning b a metre from Bettors Pride.
Owner Matt Henwood has been in charge of Captain Ravishing’s preparation over the past fortnight while his father Phillip (73), the gelding’s trainer, was in hospital recovering from heart surgery.
“I am now the 100 per cent owner after buying out the other part-owners a couple of weeks ago,” said Matt Henwood. “I have already had offers for him to stand at stud from over east, but at the moment the plans are to run in the Inters in Brisbane (with a $1 million final on July 18).
“I am aiming to start Captain Ravishing in a Gloucester Park Free-For-All next Friday night before sending him over to Melbourne to be trained by Lisa Miles before he travels to Queensland.”
It is interesting to note that Captain Ravishing recorded considerably faster times over 2936m than champion Magnificent Storm did in winning the $300,000 Fremantle Cup 30 minutes later.
Captain Ravishing ran the journey in 3min.33.4sec. (rating 1.57) while Magnificent Storm rated 1.58.8, with a gross time of 3min.36.7sec.
Captain Ravishing has earned $702,294 from 15 wins and eight placings from 39 starts. Eleven of his victories have been in Victoria, and he has won once in NSW, with his WA record being three wins and two placings from eleven starts.
Turnbull Wins At WA Debut
Talented Bathurst teenage reinsman Jett Turnbull predicted the sky is the limit for A Little Silence after driving the $1.60 favourite to an effortless victory in the 2130m RAC Members Save 5% Every Day At Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 18-year-old Turnbull his first success at his first drive at Gloucester Park during his first visit to Western Australia.
He also was successful with his first drive at Shepparton in Victoria and at Redcliffe in Queensland.
A Little Silence, trained by Gary Hall Snr, began from the No. 4 barrier and was not extended in getting to the front 350m after the start and then setting a modest pace with opening quarters of 31.2sec. and 29.7sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 27.9sec. He won by two lengths from $23 chance Whos The Dad, rating 1.56.7.
He is by American sire Downbytheseaside and is the only foal out of the unraced Sportswriter mare So Many Words, whose younger half-brother Beyond Words raced 129 times for 28 wins, 47 placings and $360,372.
A Little Silence, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old, has had only seven starts for three wins, four placings and $57,609 in prizemoney.
“This horse is a little superstar, and I reckon he will go through the grades well,” said the slimly-built Turnbull, who tips the scales at just 48 kilograms.
“Tonight, A Little Silence came out (from the start) by himself and was super in the run, even though he was a bit lazy and was having a look around.
“I came over on Thursday for a little holiday, and I will return home on Monday in time to drive at the Menangle meeting on Tuesday.” He has two drives at that meeting for pacers trained by his father Nathan, Indasky and Alfnalma.
Belly Up Aimed At Golden Nugget
Smart pacer Belly Up is an exciting sit-sprinter who will be aimed for the rich feature events for four-year-olds later in the year.
Prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Belly Up was most impressive when he thundered home from tenth at the bell to snatch a thrilling final-stride victory in the 2130m Retravision, Lowest Price Guarantee Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven patiently by Deni Roberts after starting out wide at barrier eight, Belly Up, the $2.40 favourite, sprouted wings to beat $13 chance Bettor Arcade by a nose, rating 1.55.8 after final quarters (off the front) of 28.2sec. and 28.6sec.
This ended a losing sequence of eleven, which included six placings, and took his earnings to $241,792 from seven wins and 12 placings from 28 starts.
“We are eyeing off the Golden Nugget and the Four-Year-Old Classic,” said Greg Bond. “Sit-sprinting is his racing pattern, but I gave Deni the option tonight to go forward if she wanted to. But she made the right call because there was a fair bit of speed on early (with a lead time of 35.8sec.).
“If Belly Up had gone forward, it probably would have been his undoing. So, Deni got things dead right again. He has won a lot of races coming from the back of the pack. Obviously, there will come a time when we will use him off the arm when he draws good, and we will see how he handles that.
“He won a Westbred Classic as a two-year-old and has come a long way since then and is doing a great job. Skye picked him out as a yearling when he caught her eye. And we got him for a reasonably fair price ($40,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale).”
Belly Up is by New Zealand sire Foreclosure and is the eleventh foal out of New Zealand mare Thats The Spirit, whose sixth foal Patrickthepiranha earned $719,676 from 42 wins and 52 placings from 179 starts.
The Bonds and Roberts completed a double later in the program when Aaediebytheseaside ($3.30) settled in sixth position before starting a three-wide move with 1100m to travel to race in the breeze in the final lap and taking the lead 220m from home and holding on to win by a half-head from the $1.90 favourite Copy Cat Queen, who ran home fast when the final 400m was covered in 27.3sec.
Aardiebytheseaside will be one of the fancies for the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes on May 8. She won this event in 2024 when she easily defeated Acharne Girl, an then she finished fourth behind Penny Black in last year’s WASBA Breeders Stakes.
Wake Up Geoff gave a sample of his versatility when he was a $11.50 chance ($20 on the fixed market) and did all the bullocking work in the breeze before getting to the front 250m from home and holding on to beat the fast-finishing Amalfi Knight ($4.80) and the pacemaker and $1.70 favourite In Rare Air in the $50,000 Caduceus Club Classic over 2130m.
A week earlier he had set the pace when he won a 2130m event from Ideal Beach and Amalfi Knight. The Fly Like An Eagle three-year-old is trained by Kim Prentice and was driven with great confidence by Mitch Miller.
“Wake Up Geoff was a $10,000 yearling and including bonuses and stakemoney he has earned $150,000,” said Prentice.
Prentice and Miller continued in fine form when they combined to win with $2.10 chance Firth Of Clyde at Bunbury on Saturday night.
On Friday night Miller completed a double when he drove $21.20 chance Rellim to an impressive victory in the 2130m Retravision Online Pace, with the seven-year-old surging home from tenth at the bell to get to the front on the home turn and win by just under two lengths from $9.50 chance Sun Publisher.
Rellim, purchased for $12,000 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, is owned by Darryl Miller and his son Dean, who trains the Follow The Stars gelding at Coolup. The Millers found an easy way to name Rellim by naming the pacer by spelling the family name backwards. Rellim has earned $116,359 from eleven wins and 31 placings from 87 starts.
Ten minutes before Rellim won the final event at Gloucester Park Dean Miller set the pace and won the final event at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park with five-year-old mare Staranna.
