High Praise For Gee Heza Sport
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts declares that veteran pacer Gee Heza Sport is the best horse currently racing in Western Australia, and she is confident that the sprightly eight-year-old will win the $31,000 Christmas In July Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I don’t think any horse in the State is going as good as he is,” she said. “His past two runs have been insane.”
Gee Heza Sport, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has the speed and strength to overcome the disadvantage of beginning from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.
The New Zealand-bred son of American sire Sportswriter, the winner of 16 races and $586,421 in prizemoney, has performed brilliantly at his most recent outings after starting from wide barriers.
He began from barrier eight in a 2130m Free-For-All on May 22 when he was tenth in the middle stages and sixth, three wide, at the bell before storming home to gain a last-stride victory over the pacemaker Sweet Pins. He rated 1.54 after the final 800m (off the front) was run in 55.4sec.
Two weeks later Gee Heza Sport started from the No. 7 barrier in a 1730m sprint in which he raced in seventh position before sustaining a powerful three-wide burst from the 600m to finish second to the frontrunning Youre So Fine, who dashed overt the final quarters in 27.5sec. and 27.4sec.
The longer distance of this week’s event should not worry Gee Heza Sport, who finished second in the 2936m Fremantle Cup in May 2025 before winning the 3309m Marathon three months later.
Among the main rivals for Gee Heza Sport on Friday night are his inexperienced stablemate Our Crunch Time, Bettors Pride, Soho Moonraker and Youre So Fine.
Four-year-old Our Crunch Time has been thrown in at the deep end to compete against several older, more experienced and better-performed pacers. He will be driven by Kyle Symington from the coveted No. 1 barrier.
Our Crunch Time, who led and finished second to Soho Moonraker over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week, has impressed at winning six times from twelve starts.
Bettors Pride, to be driven by Shannon Suivaljko from barrier four, raced in last position in the field of twelve in a 2130m event last Friday night before charging home, out six wide to dead-heat for second with Sweet Pins behind the pacemaker Opal Hunter.
Kevin Keys, who trains Bettors Pride, said: “I’m very happy with him, and he will run a nice race.”
The Bond stable and Roberts appear certain to be prominent in other events on the ten-event program, with Roberts expecting strong showings from Troubadour (race two), Delulu (race three), Aardiebytheseaside (race five) and Thelitte Master (race six).
Troubadour will start from the inside of the back row in the ULE Hoof Oil Pace over 2130m. He was the $2 favourite in a 2130m race last Friday night when he set a modest pace and finished a half-length second to the fast-finishing Koojan.
Roberts admitted she was disappointed with the four-year-old’s performance, saying: “I don’t know what to make of him at the moment. Probably a soft draw will help him this week. Maybe, with a sit he will go better.”
Delulu, who has been plagued by unfavourable barriers, should appreciate starting from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Christmas In July Pace.
“She has been a sit-sprinter because of her wide draws, and now I’m happy that she has got a good draw, so I aim to be taking full advantage of it,” she said.
Delulu has begun from the No. 1 barrier three times in her 30-start career for two wins and a fourth placing (after she set the pace and wilted to fourth behind Fakenit in a 2536m WA Oaks prelude last year).
Delulu will need to be at her top to beat in-form runners Sweet Pins, A Little Silence, Opal Hunter and Medieval Man.
Roberts suggested that punters should overlook Aardiebytheseaside’s last placing behind Eastbro Chrissy in a field of eight last Friday night when the big mare raced at the rear throughout.
“Just forget about last week’s run when the first half was run in (a slow) 63sec. and we couldn’t do anything from back in the field,” she said. “She will be better suited from barrier five this week.”
Fakenit, to be driven by Stuart McDonald for trainer Gary Hall Snr, is ideally drawn at barrier two and is sure to take a power of beating. She raced in the breeze outside Eastbro Chrissy and fought on determinedly to finish second to that mare last Friday night.
Aretha Is Ready To Fire
Promising pacer Aretha will reappear after an absence of eight and a half months when she begins from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m $9 Swan Draught Pints Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with her trainer Jemma Hayman predicting a strong first-up performance.
“Her two recent trials have been okay without being outstanding,” said Hayman. “But she knows the difference between trials and races. You will see a better version of her on Friday night.”
Aretha, a winner at six of her 13 starts, has not raced since finishing seventh behind Fakenit in the WA Oaks on October 3 last year.
She was driven by Chris Voak in a 2116m stand at the Pinjarra trials on Wednesday of last week when she set a modest pace in the field of three and won by eight lengths from Swizzlestick, rating 2.5.9. And then in a 2150m five-horse trial at Byford last Saturday Aretha, driven by Tony Treasure, raced at the rear and finished last, ten lengths from the winner Holy Hecka.
“Aretha is ticking all the boxes; she has done plenty of work and has plenty of miles in her legs,” said Hayman. “And we would like to hold up and lead on Friday night.
“She had a good spell after the Oaks and was due to resume racing a few months back when we had a little setback with her. It was nothing major; it was a medical issue we had to resolve.”
Looming large as Aretha’s main dangers are Always B Miki pacers trained by Kevin Keys, Koojan (barrier six) and Mikis Pride (nine).
A conservative Keys said: “It will be difficult for those horses from those barriers, but Koojan will be running on.” Koojan, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, bounced back to top form last Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs in fifth place before getting clear approaching the home turn and flying home, out wide, to win by a half-length from Troubadour, rating 1.56.3 over 2130m.
Callan Suvaljko will drive Mikis Pride, who will be making his first appearance after a six-month absence. The five-year-old is capable of a strong first-up effort.
Hayman will be looking for a forward showing from Diamond World, who will begin from the No. 7 barrier in the Book Into Steelo’s Pace over 1730m. She has engaged Gary Hall Jnr to drive the mare whose opponents include smart four-year-olds Sheer Rock Lady and Diamondsareforever, who are trained by her husband Ross Olivieri.
“Sheer Rock Lady, who will be having her first start for four months, is drawn out wide at barrier eight on the front line, with Diamondsareforever (Ryan Warwick) at barrier nine.
“They have had no luck in the random draw,” said Olivieri. “Sheer Rock Lady has taken a long time to mature, and her second in a Pinjarra trial on Wednesday of last week was encouraging. She will acquit herself well, and whatever she does she will improve on.”
Del Bocavista Bay Has Hat-Trick Claims
Coolup trainer Hayden Reeves has seasoned five-year-old Del Bocavista Bay racing in the best form of his career, and he is upbeat about the gelding’s prospects of completing a hat-trick when he begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“His latest run was super when he won easily, and the plan on Friday night will be to lead,” he said.
The versatile Del Bocavista Bay began from the back line in the 2530m Kellerberrin Cup last Sunday when he raced in eighth position before moving to seventh at the bell with a three-wide trail and then being switched four wide at the 500m and taking the lead 200m later and winning comfortably from stablemate Major Freeway.
At his previous start in a 2180m event at Wagin nine nights earlier Del Bocavista Bay raced in eighth spot before starting a four-wide move at the bell which saw him hit the front with 220m to travel and racing away to beat stablemate Tubbs Farquhar by four lengths.
While those victories were impressive come-from-behind efforts, Del Bocavista Bay is also a smart frontrunner who has led and won at Albany (twice), Bunbury, Wagin and Gloucester Park.
Del Bocavista Bay is thriving on a busy program, and already this season he has contested 26 events for four wins and six placings to boost his record to 108 starts for 16 wins, 20 placings and $140,633. Two of his wins have been in metro-class events at Gloucester Park last year.
One of his main rivals is sure to be the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Thelittle Master, who will begin from the No.5 barrier. The five-year-old has been unplaced at his past ten starts but is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class.
“This is a massive drop in class, and he has been looking for a race like this,” said his driver Deni Roberts. “He will need a bit of luck, but he is going good enough to be a strong each-way chance,” said Roberts.
Curadh Looks Set To Shine
Inexperienced five-year-old Curadh produced an outstanding performance to charge home from last to finish second to Eastbro Chrissy at Pinjarra three Mondays ago.
It was an effort which suggests he will be able to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line and win the 2130m Christmas Party Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He went very well at Pinjarra,” said his trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green. “From barrier twelve, we will probably tuck in. He has a good turn of foot and, hopefully, he will get over the top of them.”
At Pinjarra, Curadh began from the outside of the back line, and he settled down at the rear and was last in the field of twelve when Egerton-Green urged him forward, three wide, with 750m to travel. Curadh then went five wide at the 300m and thundered home to finish just under a length behind classy mare Eastbro Chrissy.
Also in the spotlight on Friday night will be the smart lightly-raced New Zealand-bred six-year-old Holy Hecka, who will resume racing after a six-month absence when he begins out wide at barrier eight in the Trotsynd Pace over 2130m.
Shannon Suvaljko will drive the Sweet Lou gelding for trainer Kevin Keys, who was pleased with the pacer’s win in a trial at Byford last Saturday when he was handled by 17-year-old reinsman Aiden Elliott.
Holy Hecka trailed the pacemaker Cherry On The Cake before finishing strongly to beat Rox The World by a length, rating 1.59.3 over the 2150m journey.
He has won at four of his 14 starts, which includes ten runs in WA for three wins and four thirds. Trainer Kevin Keys described Saturday’s effort as a “nice trial” and said that Elliott didn’t knock the horse about.
“Barrier eight first-up will test Holy Hecka,” said Keys. “He will be running on, and they will know he’s there, but it looks hard to win from the wide draw. He has had leg problems, but at this stage we’re very happy with his progress.”
Banjup trainer Michael Young has two runners, Katama and Trixie Dora, in the final event, the 2130m www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace for three-year-old fillies, and Emily Suvaljko has given punters a valuable lead by choosing to drive Katama, the only New Zealand-bred filly in the race who will start out wide at barrier No. 8 with a record of four wins from seven starts..
Kylah Madden will drive Trixie Dora, a winner at three of her 17 starts, from the outside barrier in the field of nine.
“Katama is still very green, but is racing very well,” said Suvaljko. “She has won all her races by leading and running good times, and she hasn’t had much of an opportunity to race with a sit. As yet, I have no set plans on how she will be driven.”
Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman will be looking for strong efforts from her last-start winners In Full Flight (Shannon Suvaljko; barrier four) and Chefs Kiss (Ryan Warwick; barrier seven).
“It is hard to split them; they’re nice fillies and last-start winners. We have had a few challenges with Chefs Kiss, and it was nice to see her win at Gloucester Park last week.
“We have been driving In Full Flight more conservatively because we wanted to teach her how to settle. It was at her latest start that we sent her out at the start, and she did a good job, leading with the breeze horse putting pressure on her. I would like her to be able to lead again.”
