Williams Celebrates A Surprise cure
Earlier in the week Robbie Williams was confined to bed and feeling terrible as he suffered from a virulent virus before his doctor cleared him to resume training his pacers.
“I was really crook and spent Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in bed,” explained 38-year-old Williams, who answered a most unexpected telephone call from ace Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice on Tuesday evening, offering him the drive behind talented six-year-old Rolling Fire in the Group 3 $50,000 Lord Mayor’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I was more than happy to take the drive,” said Williams. “This was my first ever drive for Justin; we’re usually in opposition. It’s been a few years since I’ve had a freelance drive, but this was nice to be able to drive a horse for Justin, whose horses are always very well geared and well presented.”
Williams made the most of the opportunity and he guided the WA-bred six-year-old to an easy victory at his first start for two months when he surged home from the rear to win by 5m from Better Eclipse ($6) at the handsome odds of $36.80. Sorridere ($7.50) was a head away in third place after trailing the pacemaker and $2.60 favourite Lavra Joe.
“I was really crook earlier in the week, but now I’m feeling fine,” said Williams. “It is never easy from barrier seven, but Rolling Fire travelled beautifully throughout even though we got shoved four wide after there was a bit of interference with a lap to go,” said Williams.
Rolling Fire settled down in tenth position after a fast lead time of 35.3sec. and he was still well back in ninth place at the bell, with Williams sending him forward, out three wide.
Lavra Joe stopped suddenly with about 600m to travel and quickly dropped back to last, while the breeze horse Better Eclipse took up the running before was swamped late when Rolling Fire charged home to hit the front with about 100m to travel.
Lavra Joe, trained by Ray Jones and driven by Kyle Harper, bled from both nostrils and will be banned from racing for three months. “Actually, he felt the best I’ve felt from him but he overraced a fair bit and wasn’t breathing too good,” said a bitterly disappointed Harper.
Prentice was delighted with Rolling Fire’s splendid first-up performance and said he would set him for the $50,000 Pinjarra Cup on Monday of next week. Rolling Fire, a gelding by American sire Roll With Joe, has earned $277,945 from 15 wins and 13 placings from 49 starts.
Prentice also was represented with Mighty Ronaldo ($14) and The Iron Duke ($61) in the Lord Mayor’s Cup. Mighty Ronaldo was restrained to the rear from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and was badly hampered for room in the final circuit and finished in 11TH place, while The Iron Duke was tenth at the bell before flashing home late, out six wide to finish a close-up eighth.
Spitfire Shows His Class
The much-heralded WA debut of former New South Wales pacer Spitfire did not disappoint with the four-year-old revealing his class with a strong victory in the $21,000 Hoist Torque Australia Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Spitfire, a winner of six races at Penrith from his 23 NSW appearances, is bred to be a star. He is by American sire Betting Line and is the sixth foal out of Art Major mare Lady Euthenania, the dam of outstanding performers Max Delight and Major Delight.
Major Delight was a brilliant mare who raced 29 times for 22 wins, four placings and $729,122 in prizemoney. Four of her successes were in Group 1 feature events.
Max Delight amassed $1,492,374 in stakes from 37 wins and 51 placings from 156 starts. He won Group 1 events as a three-year-old in 2019, scoring in the New South Wales Derby at Menangle and the Breeders Crown for colts and geldings at Melton before winning the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Bendigo in October 2021.
Spitfire, having his first start since finishing sixth in the Group 1 Breeders Challenge at Menangle on October 25, was produced in fine fettle by Ravenswood trainer Jocelyn Young for Friday night’s race in which he was a warm $1.70 favourite from his wide draw at barrier No. 8.
Young sent Spitfire forward soon after the start and the four-year-old quickly moved to the breeze with $9.50 chance Vinita Rose setting the pace and making life difficult for her pursuers by sprinting over the middle 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 28.2sec.
Spitfire covered the final quarter in 29.4sec. after hitting the front about 270m from home and winning by a half-length from a defiant Vinita Rose, with Dourado ($6) running home gamely from eleventh at the bell to be third, more than three lengths adrift of Vinita Rose.
Spitfire’s win was his first in a metropolitan-class event, and it improved his record to 24 starts for seven wins, five placings and $58,678.
“I expected Spitfire would have to do it tough from his wide draw, and he did,” said Young. “He raced against good company in Sydney, and I’m hoping he will measure up to run in the feature events for four-year-olds later in the year.”
Spitfire is owned by Peter Gianni, the owner of two gold mining companies in Kalgoorlie, and his wife Sue, and they have enjoyed considerable success with several of their pacers who have been trained and driven by Young and her younger sister Madeleine.
The Gianni-owned pacers have included Mister Ardee, Isaiah Artois, Mein Guy, Rockyourbaby, Caberneigh, Castella Dellacqua and Insta Gator.
The indefatigable Mister Ardee earned $371,834 from 32 wins 72 placings from 251 starts. Kim Young, father of Jocelyn and Madeleine, won twice with Mister Ardee, with Jocelyn also winning two races with him, and Madeleine showing the way with 18 victories.
Isaiah Artois had nine wins from 26 WA starts and they included the Pearl Classic for two-year-olds in June 2014; Mein Guy won twelve times in WA; 18 of Rockyourbaby’s 22 wins were in WA; Kabochon’s 15 WA starts have produced six wins and five placings; Castella Dellacqua was retired last year after racing 31 times for seven wins and six placings; and Insta Gator (nine wins and 11 placings from 37 starts) and Caberneigh (13 starts for four wins and five placings) should win many more races.
Minos Overcomes Early Trouble
Veteran trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper has Minos racing in grand style, and the New Zealand-bred five-year-old revealed strong staying qualities when he overcame early trouble to win the $25,000 Hoist Solutions Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Minos was a well-supported $2.90 second fancy from out wide at barrier No. 7, with noted frontrunner Talks Up A Storm the $2.70 favourite from barrier two.
Harper sent Minos forward at the start and the gelding was forced four wide about 270m after the start when Sweet Lucifer ($19) broke into a gallop.
“This cost Minos dearly,” said Harper. “We ended up in the middle of the track after a fast lead time of 35.9sec. and I had to keep going forward (to the breeze) to put pressure on the leader (Talks Up A Storm). Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to beat him. I though Minos was very brave.”
Minos fought on determinedly to take the lead in the final 50m and he held on to beat $19 chance Thelittle Master, who was seventh at the bell before flying home, out five wide, to be beaten by just a half-neck. The winner rated 1.55.6 after final quarters of 27.6sec. and 29sec. Talks Up A Storm finished close up in third place.
“I was disappointed that Minos didn’t get a start in the Lord Mayor’s Cup tonight, a race I had been targeting,” said Harper. “He has now raced three weeks in a row, and I won’t run him in the Pinjarra Cup,” said Harper. “I think I’ll now give Minos a bit of a break while working him in the water walker before his next start.”
Minos has been a revelation since arriving in WA where his first four starts for Harper have produced three wins and a fourth placing to take his career record to 23 starts for eight wins, nine placings and $177,880.
Three weeks ago, five-year-old Kurios Boy had a losing sequence of 13, with only one placing from those outings. But part-owner and trainer Kevin Keys has turned the WA-bred gelding’s fortunes around with two wins and a second placing to Minos at his past three starts.
Kurious Boy was a $9.20 chance from barrier seven in the 2130m HTA Reaching For The Top Pace on Friday night when Deni Roberts drove him to victory over the $1.95 favourite Reset The Bar and Manhattan Moon ($15).
Roberts allowed Kurious Boy to relax at the rear before he surged home from ninth at the bell to get up in the final couple of strides to beat Reset The Bar, who had taken the lead on the home turn after racing on the outside of the pacemaker Heez Good As Gold ($8.50). Kurious Boy now has earned $86,459 from six wins and eight placings from 42 starts.
Little Darling Warms Up In Style
Brilliant seven-year-old Little Darling resumed racing after a ten-week absence in splendid fashion with a powerful victory in the $25,000 HTA Rent A Gen Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a perfect rehearsal for her current campaign in which she is being set for upcoming feature events for mares, the $50,000 Lombardo Pace at Gloucester Park next Friday week and the $35,000 Golden Girls Mile at Pinjarra on March 16.
Little Darling, the $1.90 favourite from the outside barrier in the field of nine, settled in last position before Jocelyn Young set her alight with a fast three-wide burst which carried her to the breeze on the outside of her five-year-old stablemate Sugar Delight with 1000m to travel.
She got on terms with Sugar Delight 300m from home before taking a clear lead on the home turn on her way to winning by a half-length from the fast-finishing $71 outsider Bazaar Package, rating 1.56.3 after final 400m sections of 28sec. and 28.6sec. Sugar Delight held on to finish third.
“It is always tough from barrier nine,” said trainer Cameron Ross. “Little Darling enjoys racing and she will improve on her effort tonight. We’re aiming for the Lombardo and the Golden Girls, and she is nice and bright. The more she races, the better she gets.
“Sugar Delight is probably a step or two below the good mares, but she is earning her keep.”
Ross also has a high opinion of New Zealand-bred three-year-old filly Miss Leopatra, who impressed at Gloucester Park last Tuesday night when she was a stylish all-the-way winner, rating 1.54.5 over 1730m after final quarters of 28.4sec. and 28.1sec.
“We will be aiming at some of the big races for fillies this year, like the Pearl Classic and the WA Oaks,” said Ross.
Rockokoko Has A Bright Future
Leading trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo predicted many more wins for Rockokoko after driving the six-year-old to victory in the $21,000 HTA Success Solutions over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He is a quality animal who is getting better with every run,” said De Campo after Rockokoko, the $1.60 favourite, was not extended in setting a brisk pace and beating the fast-finishing pair of Lincoln River ($12) and Bettor Arcade ($26).
“He has had his troubles in the past, but he has high speed and should be able to run through the classes. He felt good out in front, and he probably looks worse than he feels.”
De Campo had a few anxious moments when Rockokoko’s one-legged spreader became loose on the home turn. “So, I needed to nurse him over the final 150 metres to make sure he got across the line okay,” said De Campo.
Rockokoko dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.7sec. and 28sec., and he rated a smart 1.56.4. He now has earned $97,263 from seven wins and 13 placings from 31 starts.
Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman landed a double with Your Grace winning the opening event, the Good Luck Gary Hall Pace, and Petes Honour scoring an easy victory in the final event, the HTA Taking You To New Heights Handicap.
Your Grace, driven by Kyle Harper, was a $48.90 outsider when he enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out and two-back position before he ran home with a solid burst to win by a nose from Spudmeister ($15) in a blanket finish.
This made amends for Your Grace’s failure as a well-fancied $4.60 chance the previous Friday night when he set the pace and faded to finish last behind Mister Piccolo in the field of twelve.
“Obviously, the early burn didn’t suit him last week, and tonight we settled close enough,” said Harper. “However, I thought the pace was too slow (with opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 31.1sec.).”
Your Grace was pushed three wide 500m from home and then was forced five wide 250m later before surging home out six wide to snatch a last-stride victory over Spudmeister.
The WA-bred Your Grace has raced 88 times for six wins, 24 placings and $87,809.
Petes Honour, driven by Chris Voak, made light of his 40m handicap when he sustained a powerful run from the rear in the middle stages to get to the front 450m from home before racing away to beat the pacemaker Lukes Mistake ($6) by two lengths.
Louie Lebeau ($5.70) ended a losing sequence of 18 when he raced without cover before getting up in the final stride to beat the frontrunning Beat The Bank ($7.50) by a nose in the 2130m HTA Setting New Standards In Hoisting Pace. He was driven by Callan Suvaljko for trainer Craig Hynam.
