Spicey Major set to sparkle
Ace reinsman Gary Hall jnr won the inaugural The West Australian Nights Of Thunder in 2007, and he is aiming to notch a record fifth success in the $50,000 1730m feature sprint event at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he drives Spicey Major from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Tealsby Karita was a $3 chance from the No. 3 barrier when he finished strongly to beat Perfect Order by a length in the 2007 Nights Of Thunder, and Hall followed this with wins with Hokonui Ben in 2013, Benhope Rulz in 2019 and Jawsoflincoln in 2024.
Hokonui Ben ($1.50 from barrier three) raced in the breeze before winning by three lengths from Heisbackinblack; Benhope Rulz ($7.50 from barrier five) also raced without cover before winning from As Happy As Larry; and Jawsoflincoln ($4.10 from barrier six) raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before flying home from fifth on the home turn to beat the pacemaker and $2.75 favourite Chal Patch.
Hall is planning to take full advantage of Spicey Major’s sparkling gate speed in a bid for an all-the-way victory on Friday night.
“There’s no ifs or maybes with Spicey Major; it’s all or nothing,” said Hall. “And I’ll be looking to lead.”
Five-year-old Spicey Major was the fastest qualifier last Friday night when he set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and rated 1.52.4 and beat Chivalry by five metres.
“Spicey Major travelled well last week, though a little strong but not too bad,” said Hall. “He loves to carve out those quick sectionals and I was pleased last week that his final quarter (28sec.) was his fastest. He looked in trouble at the 400m, but he ended up winning easily.”
Hall, who trains Spicey Major, also has Ventura engaged in the final, drawn to begin out wide at barrier eight in the field of nine. Stuart McDonald will handle Ventura, who was driven by Hall when he began from the outside barrier in a qualifying heat and challenged hard but unsuccessfully for the early lead from the polemarker Spyglass.
Ventura was most impressive at his previous six starts which produced three wins and two placings. He is certainly a knockout chance on Friday night.
“Ventura went super last week, and he is going as good as a horse can go, but he appears to face an uphill battle from the wide barrier,” said Hall, who drove four winners at the Gloucester Park meeting on Tuesday evening.
Thenu Came Along, who rated 1.53.3 in winning a heat last Friday night, is awkwardly drawn at barrier five, but he cannot be left out of calculations. He began from the No. 7 barrier in his heat when he charged home from last at the bell to win by two lengths from Bellezza Nera. He is a splendid sit-sprinter, and Deni Roberts is sure to rely heavily on his finishing brilliance.
Thenu Came Along is trained by Greg and Skye Bond, who prepared Ocean Ridge in the 2020 Nights Of Thunder when he was the $1.80 favourite who set the pace from the No. 3 barrier and beat Bob Wheel by four lengths at a 1.52.6 rate. The Bond stable also won this event with Quick Draw McCaw (2008) and Ohokas Bondy (2012).
Trainer Lindsay Harper has two runners --- Sugar Apple (barrier three) and Chivalry (barrier four) --- in Friday night’s race. He will handle Chivalry, and his daughter-in-law Lauren Harper will drive Sugar Apple.
“Chivalry was very brave last week (when he ran on strongly from fifth at the bell to finish second to Spicey Major),” said Harper. “Sugar Apple’s past two runs (third to Rock Me Over and third to Thenu Came Along) have been good. Last week he got back to last before running on four wide. He likes a mile, and I expect him to go well.”
Voak chooses Chumani
Star reinsman Chris Voak has driven Sunnys Little Rose at 16 of her 18 WA starts for three wins and nine placings, but he has given punters a valuable lead by electing to drive Chumani in The Game Trotters Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chumani, trained by Terry Ferguson, will start from the No. 1 barrier on the front line in the 2503m event, with the Barry Howlett-trained Sunnys Little Rose at barrier two.
“I like Sunnys Little Rose, but Chumani went really good when he won at Pinjarra on Monday,” said Voak. “He began well in the stand, set the pace and did it easily, and if he can run those sort of times out in front on Friday night, I think he can run top three.”
Chumani, who began fast from barrier four, took up the running after 300m and he dashed over the quarters of the final mile in 30.8sec., 29.6sec., 29.4sec. and 29.5sec. to win by 13 lengths from Betty Bootz.
At his previous start, at Pinjarra 18 days earlier, Chumani began from 20m and raced four back on the pegs before winning by a head from Uptown Lad, with Sunnys Little Rose a half-length farther back in third place.
Sunnys Little Rose, Uptown Lad and the 30m backmarker Luvaflair appear to be the main dangers to Chumani, whose 82 starts have produced 14 wins and 30 placings.
Luvaflair, to be driven by Donald Harper for Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, notched her 23RD win from 119 starts when she was sixth early and third at the bell before finishing fast to beat Patched and Sunnys Little Rose in the group 3 Trotters Sprint over 1730m last Friday night.
Uptown Lad, to be driven by Kyle Harper from barrier three on the front line, is in excellent form for Wandering trainer Karen Bennett, having finished second by a margin of a head at his past two starts, both in stands over 2116m at Pinjarra, losing to Chumani and to Cyclone Kadabramelia.
Nally’s Gloucester Park debut
Former New Zealand concession reinsman Tom Nally is currently working for the powerful Greg and Skye Bond stable, and he will make his first appearance at Gloucester Park when he handles veteran pacer Machlani in the $21,000 The Nightly Pace over 2130m on Friday night.
The 22-year-old Nally will be hoping for a memorable performance from the Michael Young-trained nine-year-old Machlani, who will begin from the No. 2 barrier after having won at three of his past four outings --- leading for an easy win from Lets Get Rockin over 2662m at Narrogin, coming from fourth at the bell to beat Koolbardi Navajo over 2265m at Albany, and racing in the breeze before defeating Johnny Lombo by a half neck over 2265m at Albany.
“I was hoping that Machlani would draw barrier one, which would have given him an excellent chance of leading and winning,” said Young. “Regarding driving instructions, I’m not sure at this stage. I’ll sleep on it for a couple of days.”
The evergreen Machlani has raced 147 times for 17 wins and 35 placings, and he meets only moderate opposition on Friday night.
Nally has had one drive in WA --- finishing seventh with $41 outsider Wallen in an event for novice drivers at Pinjarra on Monday of last week. His most recent winner was with $22.10 chance Tairlaw Toll over 2200m at the Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on January 19, 2023.
Tairlaw Toll began from the back line and was ninth early in the field of ten before charging forward to take the lead after 550m. The eight-year-old went on to win by four lengths at a 1.57 rate from Escobar.
As an 18-year-old Nally landed his first winner at his fifth drive in a race when Im Watching You finished fast after racing three back on the pegs to win by a nose from Matrika at Ascot Park in September 2020.
Two months later he won his second race when Indulgence, starting at the massive tote price of $141.70, ran home fast to score at Winton. He competed in 515 events in New Zealand for 28 wins and 26 seconds and 45 thirds.
Among Machlani’s rivals are promising four-year-old Franklin Delano, speedy mare Blaze Coops, the consistent Major Jay and Brulee.
Franklin Delano, trained by Gary Hall snr, has been placed behind Regal Cheval and Cordero at his past two starts from wide barriers, and will need plenty of luck after starting from the outside barrier in the field of nine.
Blaze Coops, to be driven by Kyle Harper for trainer Shane Tognolini, will start from the No. 6 barrier and is capable of leading from this draw, and fighting out the finish. She began speedily from barrier six last Friday night but was unable to cross to the front before Harper gave her a perfect sit behind the frontrunning Freyja. She the ran home strongly to finish second, a half-length behind Freyja.
Major Jay is racing consistently for trainer Nathan Turvey. He was handy all the way when fourth behind Lord Titanium over 2130m last Friday night when reinsman Kyle Symington said that the gelding was not comfortable in the score-up when he began from barrier five, immediately behind the mobile barrier vehicle.
“Major Jay will begin right behind the cab again this week,” said Symington. “Hopefully, I can overcome this difficulty and set him up for success.”
Symington also has sound prospects with Hi Suga Rush (race one), Hillview Bondi (race three) and Swingband (race four).
Hi Suga Rush, trained by Bob Mellsop, will start from barrier three in the 2130m The Sunday Times Pace in which he should fight out the finish with Mister Macedon (barrier six) and Thelittle Master (barrier seven).
The New Zealand-bred Hi Suga Rush has won at eight of his 16 WA starts, with his only Gloucester Park appearance being seven starts ago when he was driven by Symington and finished a close-up fifth behind Chaco Eagle. Symington handled Hi Suga Rush at his Australian debut, when he ran on to gain a last-stride victory by a head from Only Me And Lou at Pinjarra in April 2024.
“Hi Suga Rush has good gate speed, and I’d say I’ll be going forward in a bid to lead,” said Symington.
Symington is also confident that the Ryan Bell-trained Hillview Bondi will prove hard to beat when he starts from barrier six in the 2130m Perth Now Pace. “He is tough, and he should go well,” said Symington. “This is a drop in grade compared with when he was racing in Free-For-All company a couple of starts ago (and finishing second to Lavra Joe).”
Emily Suvaljko has chosen to drive Navy Street (barrier one) in preference to Lets Get Rockin (barrier five). “Navy Street might try to lead, whereas Lets Get Rockin has an awkward draw and probably will have to go back early,” she said.
Lets Get Rockin impressed last Friday night when he was seventh in the middle stages before sustaining a strong three-wide burst to take a narrow lead 50m from home and finishing a head second to Storyteller.
“He went huge, and I thought it was a career-best run,” said Suvaljko. Trainer Nathan Turvey has engaged Deni Roberts to drive Lets Get Rockin this week.
Change of tactics for Heez A Vibe
Mardella trainer Michael Young has decided on a change of tactics for exciting, lightly-raced four-year-old Heez A Vibe when Emily Suvaljko drives him in the 2130m The West Sport Show Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Heez A Vibe made an unsuccessful challenge for the lead in a 1730m event last Friday night before he raced in the breeze and wilted to finish seventh behind Spicey Major.
He will start from the No. 6 barrier in a field if seven this week, and Young said: “He won’t be in the breeze this week. We will sit him up, and he will be a good winning chance.”
Suvaljko, who is the early leader with 13 wins in the WA drivers’ premiership table, said: “He has good gate speed, but he is a small horse, and I don’t think he is mentally tough enough to race in the breeze. If he is sat up, he has a lethal sprint.”
Heez A Vibe’s chief rivals should be Gully Gum (barrier one) and Showpony (barrier five). Gully Gum, a winner at ten of his 26 starts, is racing in fine form for Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop, and will be driven by Deni Roberts.
Showpony, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, was outstanding last Friday night when he began out wide at barrier eight and raced without cover before fighting on grandly to finish a half-length second to the pacemaker Maungatahi after the final quarters were run in 28.2sec. and 27.7sec.
Suvaljko also has excellent winning prospects with the Katja Warwick-trained Rascal, who looks set to lead from the No. 1 barrier in the $31,000 Streamer.com.au Pace.
“I’ll be hoping to lead because that’s where Rascal runs his best races,” said Suvaljko. “I’d like to keep Rascal rolling along to keep Paul Edward and Soho Santorini at bay.”
Suvaljko prefers Busselton Cup
Leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko has relinquished the task of driving in five of the eight events at Gloucester Park on Friday night, preferring to travel south to drive Bet On The River in the $14,697 Busselton Cup over 2680m.
Bet On The River is one of Serpentine trainer Matt Scott’s four runners in the standing-start Cup, and he gives the lightly-raced five-year-old an excellent winning chance.
“Bet On The River has won at two of his three starts at Busselton this summer, and hopefully he can lead all the way,” said Scott, who also will be represented with fellow-frontmarker Sonic Seelster (Joey Suvaljko), Mydadtheterror, who start off the 10m mark and will be driven by Corey Peterson, and Rising Spirit, to be driven by Cody Wallrodt off 20m.
“Bet On The River won on debut for Ross Olivieri as a two-year-old in January 2022 when he sprinted the final 400m in 27.2sec. before he broke down shortly afterwards,” said Scott. “Last year his owners John Ellis and Don McLean took him over and worked him up, and now I’ve been training him for the past month.”
Scott is looking to win the Busselton Cup for the third time, following the wins of Awaitinginstructions in 2023 and Mikipelo last year. Both pacers are owned by Tim Blee, who races Mydadtheterror, a first-up Busselton winner in December before he bungled the start and finished fourth in a race when he was the $1.04 favourite.
“We have changed a bit of gear on him, and he should go pretty good,” said Scott.
Scott also holds a strong hand in the $35,000 Northam Cup, a stand over 2560m at Burwood Park on Saturday night in which he has three runners --- frontmarkers Feeling Aces (Shannon Suvaljko), Mikipelo (Kyle Harper) and Gee Smith (Trent Wheeler). Scott has won the Northam Cup with Son Of A Tiger five years ago.
Greatgreat Boulder, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, will start from barrier two on the front line and should take a power of beating, while trainer Michael Young’s My Ultimate Chevron (Gary Hall jnr) will start off the 20m mark and is capable of a bold showing.
