Hall pulls the right rein
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr breathed a massive sigh of relief after driving Ideal Beach to a splendid victory over a gallant Cease To React in the $125,000 APG Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He had to toss up between both youngsters after having driven Ideal Beach to victory at his only start, and having handled Cease To React for trainer Michael Young at the gelding’s three starts for two wins and a fighting second after racing three wide and then in the breeze.
Ideal Beach, prepared by star Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, was the solitary runner on the back line in the 1730m event was the $3.20 favourite, with Cease To React a well-supported $4.40 chance.
“I pulled the right rein,” said Hall after Ideal Beach finished powerfully to overhaul Cease To React in the home straight before pulling away to win by just under a length, rating 1.57.5 after final quarters of 28.4sec. and 28.3sec.
“You have always got that bit of confidence driving one of Justin’s horses, especially babies,” said Hall. “Not only do they do the right thing, gait-wise and driving; they’ve always got something up their sleeve.
“Ideal Beach threw us a curve ball when he broke up in a qualifying trial. That was a nervous moment, but since then everything has been good. Justin sorted things out.
“His heat win was awesome when he had a pretty good run that night. But tonight, things didn’t go all that well when he had to go three wide with 850m to go, and over the final 800m you never know how much a horse has in his locker.
“On the last bend he wanted to run in a bit, but I knew there would be something there when we straightened. The breeze horse (Cease To React) is a good, tough horse, and he tried his hardest to go with Ideal Beach.”
Cease To React, driven by Stuart McDonald, settled down in the one-out, one-back position, with his stablemate Butter Me Up ($4.40) setting the pace for Emily Suvaljko. Hall quickly moved Ideal Beach into sixth position, one-out and two-back, and McDonald dashed Cease To React to the breeze with 1200m to travel.
Ideal Beach was switched three wide at the bell, and with a third quarter of 28.4sec. third quarter Cease To React took a narrow lead 450m from home as Ideal Beach was winding up and giving chase. Ideal Beach finally got to the front 100m from the post. Butter Me Up held on gamely to finish third.
The win gave Prentice his third training success in the classic, after scoring with Major Martini (2019) and Valedictorian (2022). For Hall, it was his fifth victory in this event, following wins with Blissfull Boy (2010), Black Aquila (2011), Almighty Joelouis (2016) and Valedictorian (2022).
Prentice purchased Ideal Beach for $130,000 at the 2024 APG Perth yearling sale, and the colt, unbeaten at his two starts, has earned $77,912 for his big ownership team of friends and stable clients.
Ideal Beach is by outstanding sire American Ideal and is the fourth foal out of unraced mare Coopers Beach. “I bought Mikis Beach, who is out of the same mare, said Prentice. “He had a lot of ability, and I thought Ideal Beach was a nicer type.”
Prentice said that he would now give Ideal Beach a break before getting him ready for rich feature events for two-year-olds later in the year.
Two in a row for Bell
It was a wonderful repeat dose for Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell and owners Albert and Julie Walmsley when Kyle Symington landed talented young pacer Ma Petite Dame an impressive winner of the $125,000 APG Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Twelve months earlier Bell and the owners celebrated the win in this feature event with Copper Head Lady, who is out of Artistic Copper, whose first foal Some Copper Beach is the dam of Ma Petite Dame.
The Walmsleys paid $65,000 for Ma Petite Dame at the 2024 Perth APG yearling sale, and the filly now has earned $73,643 from a win and a second placing (beaten by a short head by Wishing Belle on debut at Gloucester Park on February 18.
On Friday night it was a case of Ma Petite Dame, the $1.40 favourite, gaining revenge when she set the pace and won by four metres from the $6.50 chance Wishing Belle, rating 1.57.4, the exact rate recorded by Copper Head Lady a year earlier.
Ma Petite Dame is showing all the signs of following in the footsteps of Some Copper Beach, who was a star two-year-old in 2019 when she had ten starts for five wins, two seconds and one third placing. She won the Gold Bracelet, finished second to Double Expresso in the Westbred Classic and was third behind Jaspervellabeach in the Golden Slipper, and was retired with a record of 39 starts for nine wins, six placings and $100,020.
“Ma Petite Dame has a bright future,” said Symington, who said the filly was more tractable than she was when she raced wide early and in the breeze before finishing second to Wishing Belle.
“At her previous start she was a bit keen and wanted to run the gate. Tonight, she was more relaxed and was able to cross to the front easily.
“When she got clear at her previous start and there were no horses around her, she switched off, and that’s all part of her learning. Tonight, when I pulled the plugs, she kicked clear and won comfortably.”
Its Maa Time unleashes strong sprint
Its Maa Time, a noted speedy frontrunner, revealed another side of her ability when she raced at the rear and sustained a powerful three-wide burst from the rear to score an easy victory in the $100,000 APG Sales Classic for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Despite her excellent form, Its Maa Time, a Captain Crunch filly trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, was a $11 chance from the outside of the back line, with Reinette, a winner at six of her 13 starts, a hot $1.34 favourite from the No. 2 barrier.
Reinette set a solid pace, with Delulu ($9) racing in the breeze. When $12 chance Jaxs Ideal began a strong three-wide burst from the rear, De Campo dashed forward at the bell to follow that filly in the final circuit.
Its Maa Time was switched four wide at the 300m and she sprinted sharply to charge to the front 200m later on her way to winning by a length and a half from Delulu, with Reinette wilting to finish third.
Its Maa Time, a $60,000 purchase at the 2023 APG Perth yearling sale is raced by a syndicate of 14 of De Campo’s friends and stable clients. She has earned $86,002 from five wins and one third placing from seven starts.
“She does a few things wrong, but the motor is there,” said De Campo. “Tonight, she wanted to hang quite badly. Luckily, her ability takes her through most of the time. We don’t trackwork her at home, and a lot of credit is due to Bella King, who rides her.
“She has really bad feet, so we can’t put her on the hard tracks all the time. She is a work in progress.”
Spell enlivens Captain Stirling
The decision to send Captain Stirling to the paddock for a spell early in September paid handsome dividends when the Captain Crunch colt, at his second appearance after a 25-week absence, overcame a testing run in the breeze to score an impressive victory in the $100,000 APG Sales Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven by his trainer Dylan Egerton-Green, Captain Stirling was the $2 favourite from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and he was expected to lead.
However, Captain Stirling, despite being driven out hard, was unable to hold out $19 chance American Major, who got to a clear lead after 40 metres.
With $12 chance Control The Room leading the one-wide line early, Egerton-Green made a wise decision to ease Captain Stirling from behind American Major and to move to the outside of the pacemaker after about 600m.
“I didn’t want to get boxed in,” explained Egerton-Green. “And then he had to do it tough. He wasn’t really switched on at the start, even though he got out quicker than he ever has (with a fast lead time of 36.1sec.). He held them early before the other one (American Major) got him for speed in the last 50 metres out of the gate.”
Approaching the bell, Kyle Symington urged Charivari ($7) forward with a three-wide burst which was followed by the $3.30 second favourite Belly Up. Soon after that, with 650m to travel, Egerton-Green sent Captain Stirling to the front, and the colt withstood a strong interrogation from Belly Up before drawing away to win by 5m from that gelding. The winner rated 1.56.9 over the 2130m after final quarters of 28.9sec. and 29.3sec.
“Captain Stirling was a lion tonight, and he has shown the benefit of a good spell when he had time to develop,” said Egerton-Green. “He will be aimed for all the feature events for three-year-old this year.
Captain Stirling, bought for $32,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale and raced by Rob Tomlinson’s Oz-West Pacing, Damien Keating and Peter Morris, has earned $132,665 from three wins and seven placings from eleven starts. He is the tenth foal out of the Northern Luck mare Chemical Romance, who was unplaced at her three starts as a two-year-old in 2009 before being retired.
Another win for Soho Shakedown
A few rough strides soon after the start and conceding the early lead to $101 outsider The Wildcard failed to ruin the $2.30 second fancy Soho Shakedown’s prospects in the $23,000 APG Summer Series NR 30-70 final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Mitch Miller was quick to get Soho Shakedown pacing smoothly and the colt took up the running after 300m and then set a solid pace before winning by a half neck from the fast-finishing $11 chance Arionrock.
Three-year-old Soho Shakedown, trained by Kim Prentice, now has a splendid record of six wins and one close second placing from seven starts for earnings of $47,453.
Illawong Mustang, the $2.05 favourite, raced without cover before wilting to finish fifth.
“I was a little bit worried in the (home) straight,” admitted Miller. “Once Soho Shakedown puts the breeze horse (Illawong Mustang) away, he knocks off and waits for them. At the top of the straight I thought he was going to run a good third. But once he caught vision of the others he fought on really well.
“He is still quite inexperienced, and the fact that he stepped up a grade tonight was a good sign.”
Paul Edward defies intense pressure
WA-bred six-year-old Paul Edward revealed excellent fighting qualities to overcome the effects of overracing in front as well as the considerable pressure applied by the tough campaigner Hillview Bondi and cling on to win the $31,000 APG Industry Owned Summer Series NR 30-90 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Paul Edward, trained by Dylan Egerton-Green and driven by Maddison Brown, was the $2.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and the pressure he endured resulted in an excellent rate of 1.55.6 for the 2130m journey.
Hillview Bondi ($11) began from barrier six and he made life tough for the pacemaker who was able to keep his adversary at bay after 400m sections of 28.8sec., 28.2sec., 29sec. and 29.1sec.
Brown now has driven Paul Edward three times for two wins and a second placing, and the stallion, bred and owned by Steve Johnson, has earned $193,724 from 13 wins and 24 placings from 68 starts.
“It was a gutsy effort after overracing,” said Brown. “Dylan said that if there was too much pressure I should hand up because he also goes well with a sit. But I couldn’t hand up even if I wanted to because he was tugging too much.
“About the 400m he dropped the bit. Dylan had told me to avoid pulling the plugs, but I had to get them out to get the bit up in his mouth.”
Paul Edward is by Always B Miki and is the ninth foal out of Like A Dame, who raced 36 times for three wins (two at Kellerberrin and one at Wagin) and twelve placings. Like A Dame has produced eight winners, including her second foal David Hercules, who amassed $1,263,159 from 39 wins and 35 placings from 108 starts. He won the group 1 Fremantle Cup in January 2015.
Alta Allure is getting better
Inexperienced six-year-old Alta Allure is still learning, according to trainer Annie Belton, who races the mare in partnership with her husband Colin.
Alta Allure was the $4.20 second fancy when she caused a minor upset by winning easily from the $1.60 favourite Champagne Everyone in the $25,000 APG Industry Owned Sales Company Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Champagne Everyone was untroubled to set the pace, and she looked extremely hard to beat after ambling through the lead time in 39.3sec. and the opening quarter in 31.7sec.
The tempo increased, with final quarters of 29.1sec., 28.4sec. and 29sec., with Chris Lewis urging Alta Allure to the front with 120m to travel on the way to beating the favourite by just under four lengths, rating a modest 1.59 over 2130m.
“Looking at the early sectionals you would think that Alta Allure would be hard pressed to win,” said Lewis. “She relaxed well early, so that was in her favour. Obviously, it was a bit of help with the breeze horse (Rock Rosie Rock) overracing. In this class she is very competitive.”
Alta Allure is by Alta Christiano and is out of Miss Allure, who raced 81 times for three wins at Gloucester Park, 19 placings and stakes of $32,483. Alta Allure has earned $50,660 from five wins and ten placings from 27 starts.
“Alta Allure is still learning and is getting better with every start,” said Mrs Belton. “She has had injuries. She put her back leg through a fence as a two-year-old. There was no serious damage, but it took a while to get her right again.”
Auckland Jet following family tradition
Alkira is an Aboriginal name meaning Sent from Heaven, and the South-West Brockman family has enjoyed plenty of success over the past 25 years with pacers with Alkira in their names and pedigree.
It all began with Alkira Star, who had a brief but successful career, racing ten times in 2000 for four wins --- at Cunderdin, Northam, Harvey and Bunbury --- and four placings for stakes of $10,550.
And since then, the family has bred a succession of good pacers, including Alkira Star’s foals Alkira Jet (45 starts for 17 wins, eight placings and $134,835), Alkira Jetstar (44 starts for 15 wins, seven placings and $162,957) and Alkira Quattro Jet (19 starts for three wins, seven placings and $18,735).
Alkira Jet has kept up the good work, having produced four winners --- Hotshot Hall (30 starts for seven wins, eight placings and $37,514), Alkiras Desire (30 starts for eight wins, ten placings and $62,663), Gingers Jet (52 starts for nine wins, ten placings and $35,928) and Auckland Jet (40 starts for ten wins, seven placings and $67,274).
It was Auckland Jet, a big eight-year-old gelding, who was to the fore with a surprise victory as an outsider as a $69,20 chance on the tote when he surged home to win the $31,000 APGOLD.com.au Summer Series Westbred final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven by Chris Voak for Waterloo trainer Vanessa Brockman (58), who races the Auckland Reactor gelding in partnership with her father Neville and George Robinson, he began from the outside of the back line before Voak quickly got him into a good position, one-out and two-back, while Torpedo Rock ($9) was setting the pace after dashing forward from barrier five to take the lead after 150m from the polemarker and $1.65 favourite Princess Katie.
Bettor Arcade ($3.60) raced in the breeze in the middle stages, giving Follow Rocknroll ($71) an ideal trail, one-out and one-back. Follow Rocknroll got to a narrow lead 50m from home before he was swamped late by Auckland Jet, who ran on strongly from fourth on the home bend.
Auckland Jet gave Vanessa Brockman her first city training success since Alkiras Desire finished powerfully from the rear to beat Sea Me Smile at Gloucester Park on February 2, 2018. Her major victories as an owner and trainer came when Morgan Woodley drove Alkira Jetstar to win the group 3 features, the Race For Roses and the WASBA Breeders Stakes in May 2012.
Voak said that Auckland Jet would have won a lot easier had he not hung badly. “I couldn’t get him around the home bend,” he said.
Rajah Rocks is back in town with a bang
Rajah Rocks has been racing exclusively on South-West tracks in recent times before he reappeared at Gloucester Park on Friday night for the first time for six and a half months.
Trained and driven by Aiden De Campo, the four-year-old Rajah Rocks lined up as a $15.20 chance from the outside of the back line in the $23,000 APG Perth Yearling Sale Pace over 2130m when he gave a sample of his ability with a stylish victory.
The $2.65 favourite Cee Dee Three was smartest to begin from the No. 1 barrier and was bowling along in front with No Noney ($5.50) moving to the breeze after about 550m.
Blaze Away ($2.75) settled down in 11TH position after starting from out wide at barrier nine. Gary Hall jnr set Blaze Away alight with a fast move 1350m from home which took him to a half-length lead 300m later. But he was unable to cross Cee Dee Three and was left in the breeze.
Blaze Away eventually got to a clear lead 600m from home. Rajah Rocks was ninth at the bell before he unwound a strong finishing burst and went four wide on the home turn before bursting to the front in the final 70m and winning by more than a length from No Noney, with Blaze Away wilting to finish third.
“I thought Rajah Rocks was a touch disappointing at his previous start (when he led and finished third behind Blaze Away and No Noney at Pinjarra),” said De Campo. “He is not over brave, and it was a big help tonight when he didn’t get too keen in the middle stages.”
Rajah Rocks is by Art Major and is the fourth foal out of unraced Sutter Hanover mare Gaetana Nicole, and he has lived in the shadow of his full-brother Major Martini, who was a star pacer who earned $322,483 from ten wins and seven placing from 20 starts.
As a two-year-old in 2019 Major Martini won the group 1 Sales Classic and finished second to Jaspervellabeach in the Golden Slipper, and as a three-year-old he won the group 2 Sales Classic and the group 2 Western Gateway and was second to Patronus Star in the WA Derby.
Quintessa can develop into an Oaks hope
Victorian-bred filly Quintessa was injured during a storm last year and was unable to contest any events for two-year-olds. But she has recovered fully and has revealed above-average ability in scoring easy wins at her first three starts as a three-year-old in the month of February.
She has been so impressive that she looks capable of developing into a strong candidate for the rich WA Oaks late in the year.
Trained by Justin Prentice and driven by Gary Hall jnr, Quintessa won by eight lengths on debut at Bunbury before winning by a length and a half at Gloucester Park and by a margin of ten metres at headquarters on Friday night when she was the $1.10 favourite in the $21,000 APG Harness Racing Is Our Focus Pace and was not extended in beating four-year-olds Chief Copy ($46.40) and Miss Uneek ($28.60).
She led from barrier one and was never out of second gear, rating 1.59.1 over 2130m.
“We were looking at running in the Diamond Classic last year before we had a storm and she kicked out and got a knock on one of her front legs,” said Prentice.
“There was a bit of filling in the leg, but there was no serious damage. We then gave her four or five months off and just took our time.”
Prentice said that his stable didn’t get exactly what it wanted at the 2023 yearling sale in WA, so he decided to go to Melbourne to get a few more numbers. He was pleased to be able to purchase Quintessa for $36,000, and the filly has already earned $22,368 for Prentice and his wife Jacqueline.
Quintessa is by Always B Miki and is the second foal out of unraced Somebeachsomewhere mare Capoeira. Interestingly, Quintessa’s four-year-old half-sister Bella Danza, trained by Jason Grimson and driven by Jack Callaghan, won a 1609m event for mares at Menangle on Tuesday of last week.
