Im Stealthy Is A Star
Stuart McDonald lavished praise on Im Stealthy after driving the New Zealand-bred gelding to a brilliant victory in the 2130m Slot Interest Due Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
After Im Stealthy, a $5.20 chance, had won easily from the pacemaker Havtimeformiki ($3.70) and the $2.30 favourite D Mac, McDonald said that the general consensus was that D Mac was the best three-year-old in the State.
“But I have always said that Im Stealthy is better than D Mac, and though other people might be surprised I have never changed my opinion,” said an upbeat McDonald.
“I think that Im Stealthy proved tonight that he is the better horse. He is more tractable than D Mac, and he has got it all. And even though he still just doesn’t know what he is doing he is a superstar, and when he matures and starts to show his authority he will prove to everyone that he is the best.”
D Mac began speedily from the No. 5 barrier but was unable to cross to the front from Havtimeformiki, who kicked up strongly after starting from barrier four.
This battle resulted in a scorching lead time of 33.8sec., and Gary Hall Jnr was able to restrain D Mac to take the sit behind Havetimeformiki, and when the pace slackened and the first 400m section went by in a slow 32.3sec. McDonald took Im Stealthy off the pegs in fifth position in the Indian file affair to go to the breeze.
After a modest second quarter of 31sec. Deni Roberts increased the tempo, and the third quarter went by in 28.3sec., with Im Stealthy getting to the front with 450m to travel before the final 400m was run in a fast 26.9sec.
Havtimeformiki did well to finish second, almost two lengths behind Im Stealthy, with D Mac fighting on to finish third, well ahead of $126 outsider Devil In Disguise.
Im Stealthy rated 1.55.1 and took his record to nine starts for six wins and one third placing for earnings of $59,004. He is sure to develop further and become a leading candidate for the $200,00 WA Derby on October 30.
Im Stealthy, prepared by master trainer Gary Hall Snr, is a gelding by Downbytheseaside, and is the seventh foal out of unraced Jeremes Jet mare Bay Jet, whose first foal was Wildwest, who was retired two years ago after earning $619,218 from 17 wins and 14 placings from 66 starts.
Wildwest raced once in New Zealand for a 12-lenghth victory as a three-year-old at the Central Southland Raceway in Winton in May 2019. He then won at his first seven starts in WA that year, and the highlight of his career was his last-stride victory as a $91 outsider in the WA Pacing Cup in February 2022 when he beat Miracle Moose by a short half-head, with Chicago Bull third, Magnificent Storm fourth and Minstrel fifth.
Pins Help Sweet Pins
New Zealand breeders Terry and Dawn McPherson didn’t waste much time in naming the third foal out of Pretty Pins, and it was a pretty simple and obvious choice to register the colt as Sweet Pins.
But they had no idea that pins would play a vital role in the career of this son of boom American sire Sweet Lou whose future was uncertain after suffering two leg fractures and a badly damaged knee at his race debut when he scored a runaway victory at Pinjarra on July 1, 2024.
After Sweet Pins had clocked a dazzling 54sec. over the final 800m of a track workout in New Zealand as a three-year-old the McPhersons were inundated with phone calls which led them to selling the unraced youngster to champion WA trainer Gary Hall Snr on behalf of several of his stable clients.
Expectations were high when Sweet Pins lined up for his first start, and he delivered the goods with an emphatic performance when he rated 1.56.5 and beat Ebee Aviator by seven lengths over 1684m.
He pulled up sore and it was discovered that he had fractured his nearside knee and both his hind legs. Surgery was performed on his knee and pins were inserted, with veterinary surgeons predicting it was unlikely that the pacer would be able to race again.
However, patient care by Hall enabled Sweet Pins to resume his career after 12 months, and he reappeared in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park on July 11 last year when he outclassed his rivals and defeated Sheza Sassy Lassy by four lengths.
He has gone on to compete in grand style, with the pins still in his knee, and at Gloucester Park on Friday night the five-year-old impressed when he rated 1.53.9 in winning the $31,000 WATA Members Sprint over 1730m.
Sweet Pins, a $9.90 chance, began from the inside of the back line, and Stuart McDonald was delighted to enjoy a perfect sit behind the frontrunning $8 chance Lucca, with the $2.45 favourite Never Ending working in the breeze after failing in a bid to get past the polemarker Lucca and set the pace.
Never Ending dashed to the front about 550m from home, and it was then that McDonald was able to get Sweet Pins into the clear, and the horse took the lead in the home straight and went on to beat his stablemate and $31 chance Youre So Fine, who flew home out five wide after coming from ninth at the bell.
Sweet Pins has now earned $155,110 from ten wins and eight placings from 29 starts and he and Youre So Fine will be set to contest the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 11.
The win gave Hall a record seventh success, and his third quinella result, in the Members Sprint. It was also McDonald’s second win in the feature event, following his victory with the Hall-trained eight-year-old Whozideawasthis, an $18 chance who sat behind the pacemaker and $1.07 favourite Chicago Bull and finished strongly to beat his stablemate by a half-length in 2019.
“Whether Sweet Pins reaches his full potential is hard to say,” said McDonald. “He has had his fair share of problems, but we always knew how good he was.”
Miller Predicts A Bright Future
Mitch Miller made a successful return to action after recovering from the effects of concussion when he drove Soho Shakedown to an effortless victory in the $25,000 Bob Ridgers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was concussed when he was involved in a race accident three weeks earlier, and he was anxious to make a low-key return to competition by taking only one drive on Friday night’s ten-event program.
And he made every post a winner by dashing the $1.40 favourite Soho Shakedown straight to the front from barrier three and the Kim Prentice-trained gelding was not extended in setting the pace and winning by three lengths from $21 chance Ima Fivestar General, with the $7.50 second fancy Our Crunch Time a fighting third after racing without cover throughout the 2130m event.
“I’ve worked Soho Shakedown since day one and I knew he was well above average,” said Miller. “He is going big places.”
The big places Miller was indicating include the upcoming rich feature events for four-year-olds, including the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship (October 9), the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic (October 23) and the $200,000 Golden Nugget (November 6).
Soho Shakedown, who dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.5sec. and rated 1.55.8, has earned $90,222 from nine wins, two seconds and two fourths.
Another smart four-year-old to catch the eye on Friday night was the Chris Voak trained and driven Boy Blue, the $2.60 favourite who hardly got out of second gear in winning the 2130m Maureen McKercher Pace.
Boy Blue was trapped four wide early and was eighth after 300m before Voak urged him forward to take up the running 700m after the start. He sprinted over the final quarters in 28.8sec. and 27.8sec. and rated 1.56.4 in beating the $4.30 third fancy Mikis Pride by a length and a half.
Boy Blue, who has had 15 starts for seven wins, three placings and $64,221, is nowhere near his top according to Voak, who said: “I didn’t need to knock him around and he did it very easily. It was a soft win for him.
“I have been trying to develop him to improve his strength. He was a weak horse when we got him, and he wouldn’t work in the sand. And if I could’ve given him back, I probably would’ve. He still has a lot of developing to do, and where he gets to is up to him. His speed is his asset.”
Voak completed a double when he was successful with the Katie Howlett owned and trained five-year-old Brought To Light, the $3.50 second fancy who won the 2130m Tom Davies Pace by more than three lengths from $41 outsider Louie Lebeau.
Brought To Light raced in the breeze outside the $1.75 favourite Captainshavtime before getting to the front with a lap to travel when Captainshavtime suffered an atrial fibrillation and dropped back through the field.
Elliott Puts The Hammer Down
Outstanding young reinsman Liam Elliott was planning to drive My Hammer Down with a sit when the New Zealand-bred pacer lined up at barrier No.7 in the 2130m Sue Langmead Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
My Hammer Down was racing first-up after a 12-week absence and was having his first start for Northam trainer Jane Steer, Elliott’s mother.
Remarkably, Elliott was the eighth person to drive My Hammer Down at his most recent eight starts, and he had no plans to go forward at the start with the $13.80 chance.
Girl Of Brightness, the $3.10 second fancy from barrier two, was smartest into stride and she ambled through the lead time in 38sec.
“The lead time was relatively slow, and My Hammer Down was a bit keen behind the gate, so I thought we would be better off if I put him in it while they were walking,” said Elliott. “This wasn’t in my original plan.”
Elliott put the hammer down and the four-year-old dashed forward soon after the start with a three-wide burst to move to the breeze after 550m. And then soon after that My Hammer Down gained the ideal one-out, one-back trail when the $2.80 favourite South Side Story was sent forward by Aiden De Campo to race on the outside of Girl Of Brightness.
Elliott’s wise decision paid dividends. He switched My Hammer Down three wide with 250m to travel and the Always B Miki gelding hit the front 70m from the post and won by a length and a half from Girl Of Brightness.
“All going well, My Hammer Down could have a crack at the big four-year-old races that are coming up,” said Elliott.
The much-travelled My Hammer Down has had 14 starts for six wins, one placing and $51,121 in prizemoney. He had one start in New Zealand when he finished fast from last at the 400m to win at Forbury Park as a two-year-old in June 2024.
His next six starts were in WA for three wins, at Bunbury, Northam and Gloucester Park, before trainer Michael Brennan took him to Sydney where he contested a heat of the 2025 New South Wales Derby at Menangle and ruined his chances by overracing and finishing eighth.
His following three appearances were in Queensland for unplaced efforts in May and June last year. He was then off the scene for 12 months before resuming racing in WA where his first three runs back here have resulted in two wins.
My Hammer Down is the 15th foal out of unraced mare Operative Asset, whose half-brother Happy Asset amassed $783,453 in prizemoney from 14 wins and 33 placings from 104 starts.
He won the $150,000 Ben Hur at Harold Park in May 1998 and the Group 1 3200m Auckland Cup in December 1999 before finishing second to Yulestar in the 2000 Hunter Cup at Moone Valley and third behind Shakamaker in the 2000 Interdominion Championship final at Moonee Valley in 2000.
