Wishing Belle set for rich prize
Sensational filly Wishing Belle is firmly on target for the $215,000 Westbred Classic on September 5 after she continued on her winning ways with a devastating victory in the group 2 Trotsynd Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She is set for the Westbred,” said ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo after driving the daughter of American sire Bettors Wish to her two-length win over Crunchnsip, rating 1.57.6 over the 2130m journey.
“It was relatively easy tonight. She had all the favours, burning straight to the front and getting away with a bit early.
“She is the full package. As a two-year-old she doesn’t do anything wrong. She doesn’t fire up or get keen. She is a pleasure to train and is getting better and better all the time. Credit is due to Ajay Markham, who has done most of the work with her, coming through as a yearling.”
Wishing Belle, the $1.30 favourite, dashed straight to the front from the No. 6 barrier, and she ambled through the lead time in 37.9sec. and the opening quarters in 31sec. and 30.3sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 28sec.
Crunchnsip ($9) fought on doggedly, while the $8.50 second fancy Im Category Five was a fighting third after working hard out wide early and then in the breeze.
Wishing Belle, purchased by De Campo for $55,000 at the 2024 Perth APG yearling sale, and raced by a syndicate of several of his stable’s clients, has earned $145,931 from six wins and a second placing from seven starts.
She is following in the footsteps of her dam Libertybelle Midfrew, whose one win from eleven New Zealand starts was in the $156,000 NZ Sales final for two-year-old fillies when she beat Te Amo Bromac by five lengths at Alexandra Park in April 2013.
Libertybelle Midfrew raced 40 times in Western Australia for 18 wins and ended her career with a fine record of 51 starts for 19 wins, 11 placings and earnings of $640,497.
A birthday present for Williams
Astute Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams celebrated his 80TH birthday on Sunday with family and friends, and with a contented smile after his pride and joy, the eight-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer Magnificent Storm had completed a wonderful comeback to racing with an imperious win in the $31,000 Taste Of WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory as the $1.70 favourite over the $3.10 second fancy Lusaka was a moment for Williams to savour after the disappointment of the champion being injured and being forced to miss the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park in April this year.
Soon after winning the Bunbury Cup at the end of last March Magnificent Storm bruised the splint bone in his off foreleg and was unable to contest the Nullarbor --- a race he missed in 2024 when injured, and a year after he finished a most unlucky seventh as a hot favourite in the inaugural Nullarbor in 2023.
Patient care by Williams and expert assistance from his son Grant and Rob Tomlinson, the major shareholder, combined to cure the latest injury, and the gelding has revealed no signs of any problems in his three runs in his comeback trail.
“He has had a few hassles and his first two runs in this campaign have been fantastic,” said Williams. “And I was surprised to hear before tonight’s race that Magnificent Storm didn’t have the speed to cross to the front from barrier three. But he did. He has always had very good gate speed and has led from barriers eight and nine.”
Magnificent Storm had little trouble in surging past the polemarker and dashing last-start winner Lusaka, and he was able to run a comfortable lead time of 37.1sec. followed by modest opening quarters of 29.3sec. and 30.8sec. followed by sparkling final 400m sections of 27.9sec. and 27.4sec.
Star reinsman Aiden De Campo was delighted with Magnificent Storm’s performance, saying: “You forget how quick he is off the gate, and once he got to the front easily, it was a fun ride. He has taken all the [problems he’s had over the past couple of years in his stride and he feels as good as ever.”
Williams said that the main aim for Magnificent Storm was to contest the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 12 before contemplating another tilt at the Nullarbor next April.
“His immediate aim I the $50,000 August Cup next Friday week,” he said.
Magnificent Storm has now earned $1,166,935 from 38 wins and 12 placings from 63 starts.
Vidovich is making her mark
Tipping the scales at a mere 47kg, 19-year-old Abbey Vidovich is the smallest harness racing driver in WA who continues to show her skill in the sulky and looks destined to develop into an outstanding performer.
She revealed her aggressive nature at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she summed up the opposition perfectly by getting Blaze Away off to a swift start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line in the 2536m Trotsynd Join The Fun Pace.
Blaze Away, prepared by leading trainer Michael Young, was the $1.70 favourite, and the Sweet Lou four-year-old gave his backers little concern by bowling along in front and coasting to four-length victory over the $6.50 second fancy Sound Wave, who finished strongly from sixth at the bell.
Vidovich, who was handling Blaze Away for the first time in a race, said: “I appreciate being able to drive horses like this. They know what they are doing, and they get the job done.
“Every time I asked Blaze Away for an effort, he responded. He is a real gentleman.”
Vidovich began driving last year when she won at four of her 55 drives, and she has flourished this year. Friday night’s victory was her 54TH winner for the season, putting her into eighth spot of the State drivers’ premiership table.
Friday night’s success followed a double for Vidovich with Heavenly Wage and Douseeme at Pinjarra four days earlier. Then she kept up the good work at Kellerberrin on Sunday when she drove four-year-old Shes A Mare to an easy victory in a race over 2130m.
The Mandurah-born Vidovich is planning to travel next month to enjoy a well-deserved holiday in Croatia, the home of her forebears.
Blaze Away, who is out of the unraced Rock N Roll Heaven mare Maggie Pearl, was purchased for $45,000 at the 2022 Perth ASPG yearling sale and is raced by the Trotsynd No. 21 syndicate which is managed by Rob Gartrell.
He has earned $88,177 from seven wins and seven placings from 21 starts, with a highlight of his career being his second to Waverider in the group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in March 2023.
Lazy Gully Gum triumphs
South Australian-bred five-year-old Gully Gum’s greatest asset is his smart gate speed and his excellent frontrunning ability.
He was the $1.50 favourite from barrier four in the $27,000 The Bridge Bar Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night when his laziness caused driver Lauren Harper quite some cause for concern.
He set the pace, as expected, but was not as sprightly as usual.
“I thought that this was a good race for him to lead and win,” explained Harper. “But he was inclined to be a bit lazy, and I was worried coming into the (final) 400m when he didn’t want to switch on when I asked him. But he managed to get the job done (with a final quarter of 28sec.).”
Gully Gum rated 1.56.4 and won by just under a length from $17 chance Thenu Came Along. Petes Honour, who raced three back on the pegs, ran home fast along the inside to get up and snatch third place by a head from Recover Lover ($34).
However, the stewards relegated Petes Honour to fourth and elevated Recover Lover to third after they ruled that Petes Honour had gained an advantage by racing inside the final two marker pegs.
Gully Gum, prepared by Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop, is by American sire Huntsville and is the second foal out of the Modern Art mare Dorothy Hester, who raced 30 times in South Australia and Victoria for two wins, eight placings and $10,576 in stakes.
Gully Gum now has earned $116,210 from 13 wins and 12 placings from 37 starts.
Luvaflair keeps up family tradition
Veteran square gaiter Luvaflair maintained a marvellous family tradition when Donald Harper drove her to an easy win in the $21,000 Book Your TABtouch Punters Club Table Trot over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Victorian-bred seven-year-old now has won all her 26 races in WA for Nigel Johns, Waroona’s maestro mentor of trotters, and Luvaflair now boats a fine record of 135 starts for 26 wins, 43 placings and $273,926.
Luvaflair is the first foal out of All Flair, a trotter who had 171 starts for 11 wins, 60 placings and $121,187. All Flair is a half-sister to eight winners, including the seemingly indestructible Opulence and Compressor.
Johns trained Opulence for the gelding’s final four victories, and he was retired with $121,043 in stakes from 23 wins and 29 placings from 165 starts. Compressor was a star who raced 205 times for 25 wins, 60 placings and $221,026 in prizemoney. Johns prepared him for his final 20 wins.
Luvaflair was the $2.40 favourite from the No. 6 barrier, with Harper wisely planning to give the mare her best winning chance by relying on her most powerful asset, her sit-sitting sprinting ability at the end of her races.
Newcomer Cashout, a three-year-old making his WA debut, was the second fancy at $6, and he revealed excellent gate speed from barrier five to dash straight to the front while Luvaflair settled down in sixth position, one-out and two-back.
Luvaflair produced a typical fast-finishing effort to race away from her rivals and win hy 10m from Cashout, rating 2.1.5 after final quarters (off the front) of 29.8sec. and 29.6sec.
Padberg celebrates a quinella
Wanneroo owner-trainer Debbie Padberg produced a quinella result when Rockability ($24.70) and Sugar Street ($9.50) fought out a tight finish to the 2536m Event Parking Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with Rockability prevailing by a head --- and the remainder of the field trailing many lengths farther back.
Mrs Padberg, who paid $20,000 for Rockability at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale, has been rewarded with her patience with the five-year-old Rockability, who now has earned $51,418 from five wins and eleven placings from 40 starts.
Rockability had one start as a two-year-old, at Gloucester Park as a two-year-old in February 2022 before being off the scene for 17 months.
“It took a long time to get him going,” explained Mrs Paddberg. “He had an underdeveloped pedal bone in his near foreleg, and it took a lot of care to get him to the racetrack.”
Shannon Suvaljko used Rockability’s excellent gate speed to get to an early lead which he surrendered after 150m to Sugar Street, who had begun speedily from out wide at barrier nine.
Sugar Street, driven by Emily Suvaljko, set a solid pace before he was headed narrowly by Rockability with about 140m to travel. The stablemates remained locked together in the home straight, with Rockability gaining the verdict in the photo finish.
Cordero, the $2.25 favourite from barrier six, was beaten for early speed and then had to work in the breeze before wilting to finish fifth.
Rockability is by Rock N Roll Heaven and is the fourth foal out of Mach Three mare Adaptability, who managed three placings from 24 starts before being retired to the breeding barn.
Rockability’s elder half-sister Our Star Billing has earned $72,673 from seven wins and ten placings from 51 starts. The point of her career was her fourth placing behind Bettor Beach Belle in the group 1 Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies in June 2021.
Punters ignore winning form
Punters took very little notice of form when they disregarded the prospects of handy four-year-old Del Bocavista Bay in the Taste of WA in the Beau Rivage Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Six nights earlier, Del Bocavista Bay began from the 40m mark (virtually 30m because there were no front-line runners) and was the $2.45 favourite in a 2560m stand at Northam when he scored an impressive victory, winning by a length and a half from Recover Lover after racing in seventh position and then making a fast move with 1400m to travel to quickly get on terms with the pacemaker Sir Beldevere and then bursting to the front 800m later.
Trent Wheeler was engaged by Coolup trainer Hayden Reeves to drive Del Bocavista Bay in Friday night’s 2130m mobile event, and the Bonavista Bay gelding was overlooked by punters and was a rank outsider at $108.50 --- a far cry from his $2.45 price the previous Saturday night.
Tantabiddi, the $3.10 favourite, set the pace from barrier five, while Wheeler has content to allow Del Bocavista Bay to relax in sixth position, one-out and two-back.
After a 28.3sec. third quarter of the final mile, Wheeler switched Del Bocavista Bay three wide and despite a slight hiccup when he paced roughly turning for home, he got to the front in the final 80m and won by a half-length from $12 chnace Callmewhatuwant, rating 1.58.2.
Del Bocavista Bay, bred and owned by Ashleigh Reeves, is the fifth foal out of Blissfull Hall mare Lorinda Hall, who raced 16 times for three wins, two placings and $9395 in stakes.
Lorinda Hall is a half-sister to seven winners, including Scot Bay (101 starts for 17 wins, 19 placings and $134,886) and Kimba Bay (50 starts for 20 wins, 14 placings and $219,382).
Scot Bay was a star juvenile who won at his first five appearances as a two-year-old, while Kimba Bay won the group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in July 2013 before winning the 2015 Albany Cup and 2016 Harvey Cup on the Albany track.
Copper Head Lady’s triumphant return
Talented filly Copper Head Lady made an outstanding return to action after an eleven-month absence when she strolled to a most impressive victory in the $21,000 TABtouch Punters Club Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Sweet Lou three-year-old, trained and driven by Ryan Bell, was the $2.90 favourite who sped straight to the front from the No. 5 barrier and set a steady pace before dashing over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 28.8sec. to beat the fast-finishing $41 outsider Our Rich Cargo by three and a half lengths, rating 1.56.8.
“She was out of action because she had a fair time off after her hard season as a two-year-old, and then as she was ready to go around at Sales Classic time earlier this year, she tore a hind hamstring, which needed manipulating and rest,” said Bell.
“No surgery was required, and she has come back bigger and stronger. She is a very nice filly who will be set for the $100,000 Westbred Classic (September 5) and the $150,000 WA Oaks (October 3).”
Copper Head Lady is the fifth foal out of Artistic Copper, who raced 31 times for seven wins, three placings and $100,014, with her most important victory being in the group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2013.
Copper Head Lady, who was purchased by Albert and Julie Walmsley for $40,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale, has now earned $153,568 from eight starts.
Roberts lands 800TH winner
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts achieved a memorable milestone in typical fashion at Gloucester Park on Friday night, summing up the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and planning to get those horses out of their comfort zone.
She was once again rewarded for her professional attitude as well as her skill by overcoming a wide barrier and winning the $25,000 $9 Pints in Steelo’s Pace over 2130m with the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Vegas Strip.
This gave the 29-year-old Roberts her 800TH winner in a glittering career in the sulky which began sedately with one winner from 36 drives in her first season (2014-15) and ten wins from 135 drives the following season before blossoming and reaching great heights with 98 winners in 2022, 201 in 2023 and 172 in 2024. Her tally this year, with five months remaining is a healthy 78.
Four-year-old Vegas Strip was the $6.10 second fancy in Friday night’s race in which another four-year-old Dark Eyes was the warm $2.20 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Roberts considered that Dark Eyes could be suspect if hotly challenged early, so she planned to make full use of Vegas Strip’s blistering gate speed from out wide at barrier No. 7.
“Vegas Strip felt really good in the warm-up, and he is electric off the gate,” said Roberts.
Dark Eyes led for the first 100 metres but was unable to hold out the flying Vegas Strip, who then was able to relax with a 37.1sec. lead time and a extremely comfortable opening 400m section in 31.6sec. before increasing the tempo with quarters of 29sec., 28.8sec. and 28.4sec. on his way to winning by a half-neck from Dark Eyes, who ran home determinedly.
Vegas Strip, winner of the 2023 Golden Slipper, is sure to develop into a strong candidate for the rich feature events for four-year-olds later in the year. Her has earned $201,031 from nine wins, six seconds and one third placing from 27 starts.
No nibbles for a bargain
Harness racing enthusiasts missed out on a tempting bargain when they showed no interest in buying smart four-year-old mare Princess Katie.
Leading trainer Michael Young, who bought Princess Katie for $30,000 at the 2022 Perth APG yearling sale, revealed after the mare had won the $30,000 WASBA Mares Classic for four and five-year-old mares over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night that nobody had contacted him with the intention of buying the pacer.
“Someone should have bought her,” he said. “I had her advertised for $15,000 for the past three months on Facebook --- after she had finished last in the Empress Stakes in April. I had no nibbles, so someone has missed a bargain.
“We took the ad down after Princess Katie had worked (brilliantly) on Tuesday, and we were confident she would prove hard to beat, first-up since the end of July.”
Princess Katie, the second favourite at $4.40, was held out for the early lead (from barrier two) by the polemarker and $13 chance Get The Booth before Emily Suvaljko was able to get Princess Katie to the front after 400m and hold the $2.35 favourite Candy Apple in the breeze.
Suvaljko had to drive Princess Katie hard to withstand a spirited late challenge from Get The Booth, who had enjoyed a perfect trail behind her. Princess Katie shifted out in the straight and won by a nose from get The Booth.
Liam Elliott, Get the Booth’s driver, lodged a protest against the winner, alleging interference in the closing stages. The stewards dismissed the protest after determining that Get The Booth had not been inconvenienced.
Young said that he was ‘relatively happy’ with Princess Katie’s performance. “I thought she would have won more comfortably,” he said. “The early burn took the edge off her. We took the hood off her for this race, and she was a bit unconscious. The hood now might have to go back on. Tonight, she didn’t pick up the bit at all.”
Suvaljko admitted she had a few concerns during the race. “With the hood off she didn’t want to run past a horse (early),” she said. “But it helped when we were able to get a cheap first quarter (31.4sec.)
Princess Katie, who is owned by Young in partnership with a few stable clients, earned $17,226 for her win on Friday night which improved her record to 47 starts for nine wins, 14 placings and $124,205 in prizemoney.
