Star Pacer Does His Own Thing
If Magnificent Storm had the ability to speak, he would say “leave it to me; I’m in charge,” thus giving Aiden De Campo the comparatively simple task of enjoying the ride in the sulky.
Questioned about his planned tactics after driving Magnificent Storm to an easy victory in the $31,000 Trotsynd August Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night de Campo said: “He is an old horse and he almost drives himself. He knows what he’s doing out there.”
Magnificent Storm, the $1.10 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, was not bustled out at the start before going forward and taking up the running after the polemarker Soho Shakedown ($15) was the early leader.
After a swift lead time of 36.2sec. Magnificent Storm relaxed in front with opening quarters of 30.8sec. and 29.2sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.5sec. and 27.7sec. to win by 2m from Soho Shakedown, who finished determinedly along the inside. Sweet Pins ran on solidly from seventh at the bell to finish third, with the winner rating 1.54.4.
“Magnificent Storm switched off a bit late, which is something he has done from time to time when he’s out in front by himself,” said De Campo. “But there was a lot of petrol left.”
Trainer Ray Williams said that Magnificent Storm would now have a break of two to three weeks before being prepared for the $100,000 James Brennan Memorial over 2536m on November 13 as the first lead-up event before the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 11.
Nine-year-old Magnificent Storm now has raced 81 times for 51 wins, 15 placings and $1,856,088 in prizemoney. He has won at nine of his past ten starts, and De Campo has formed a marvellous partnership with the New Zealand-bred gelding, having driven him 35 times for 24 wins, four seconds, two thirds and five unplaced efforts.
Magnificent Storm gave De Campo the first leg of a driving treble on Friday night. Later in the ten-event program he was successful with Artful Major and Magic Captain, and he kept up the good work with another treble at Northam on Saturday night when he won with Lets Rock Tonight ($28.60), Our Twinkle ($2.50) and Spinner Of Yarns ($1.70).
Artful Major, trained by Justin Prentice and the $2.80 second fancy in the 2503m Bridge Bar Handicap, overcame an early hiccup to score an easy victory.
“He stepped away well, and then I saw the No. 1 horse (Azione) galloping, so I thought I should make a play for the front,” said De Campo. “The horse on our inside had the same thoughts, so I flicked Art Major up with the stick and he panicked before he quickly regained his balance.
“He felt sharper tonight than he did the previous week (when fourth behind Luvbite) and maybe that little bit of a gallop early sparked him up.”
Sheer Rock Lady ($14) dashed to an early lead, and she resisted a challenge from Alcopony ($19) 1200m from home before Artful Major burst to the front with 470m to travel and raced away to win by seven lengths from the backmarker and $2.65 favourite Luvbite, who fought on gamely from eighth at the bell.
Magic Captain, trained and driven by De Campo, was the $1.80 favourite in the 2130m Bridge Bar Pace over 2130m in which he began out wide at barrier eight.
He settled down in eighth position before surging forward to move to the breeze with 1200m to travel and then got to the front in the final 25m to win by a half-length from the pacemaker Zlato ($8.50).
Change Of Tactics Pays Dividends
A decision by Hayden Charles to alter Manhattan Moon’s usual racing pattern paid dividends when he drove the five-year-old to an overdue victory in the 1730m Westbred Heats on Tuesday Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Manhattan Moon is trained by Charles’s father Kevin, who races the gelding in partnership with his wife Annette, and the win ended a 13-month drought and broke a losing sequence of 25.
“He went super,” said Hayden Charles. “Manhattan Moon is more of a sit-sprinter and generally we don’t use him off the gate.
“He has been unlucky lately and we thought that a positive drive was the way to go. His form had been a bit off recently, racing back in the field, and this was a weaker field.”
Manhattan Moon ($6.30) began from the No. 4 barrier, and Charles made a strong bid for the early lead. But the spirited challenge was unsuccessful, with Nathan Turvey keen to make sure the polemarker Leaveamessage ($4.60) retained the advantage of setting the pace.
Charles was then content to race Manhattan Moon in the breeze, and the son of Control The Moment forged to the front 100m from the post and won by almost a length from the $1.75 favourite Akoya Pearl, who battled on doggedly after trailing the leader all the way.
An astute punter who invested $200 on four-year-old Hold The Ammo at the fixed odds price of $61 celebrated a $12,200 windfall when trainer Lindsay Harper drove a patient race to land the WA-bred pacer to victory in the 2130m Free Entry Pace.
Hold The Ammo, who returned a straight-out dividend of $30.10 on the tote, began from the back line, with Harper content to remain in seventh place on the pegs while $5.50 chance Curadh was setting a solid pace.
Harper eased Hold The Ammo off the inside with about 500m travel, and the horse went four wide on the home turn and finished strongly to beat Curadh by a length and a half, rating 1.57.5.
“He has had no luck lately, and we relied on a bit of luck tonight, and we got it, and he won comfortably,” said Harper.
Harper completed a training and driving double two events later when $6 chance Elwaddell gave a bold frontrunning display to hold on and win by a half-head from $14 chance Ima Fivestar General, who charged home late after racing three back on the pegs in the W Night Is Coming Pace.
Harper’s good form continued at Northam on Saturday night when Elplayer, a two-year-old colt he owns, won a 1780m event as an $11 chance for trainer Peter Anderson.
Elplayer, driven by Harper’s elder son Donald, trailed the pacemaker Hurricane Bella, driven by Harper’s second son Kyle, and took advantage of the sprint lane to beat the breeze horse Elquestro, driven by Kyle Harper’s wife Lauren, with the Jerime Steele-trained Hurricane Bella back in third place.
Prentice Looks To The Golden Nugget
Ace trainer Kim Prentice was overjoyed at four-year-old Soho Shakedown’s wonderful performance to finish second to superstar pacer Magnificent Storm in the Trotsynd August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and now he is setting his sights on the $200,000 Golden Nugget on November 6.
“For Soho Shakedown to have his twelfth race start and compete against Magnificent Storm was pretty tough on him, and now it is upwards and onwards towards the Golden Nugget,” said Prentice.
“I’m absolutely stoked with this horse. I trained his father (Soho Tribeca), and I always wanted that horse to throw a really good horse, and this guy (Soho Shakedown) is a really nice horse.
“From barrier one tonight I was hoping Soho Shakedown had the gate speed to hold up (at the start) and then take the sit behind Magnificent Storm.
“This was the first time in the big smoke for Soho Shakedown and Abbey (driver Abbey Vidovich). I was chucking both in the deep end, and they came out swimming very good.”
Vidovich was able to hold up from the No. 1 barrier and Soho Shakedown led for the first 550m before Magnificent Storm surged to the front. Soho Shakedown enjoyed the ideal sit, and he impressed in running home strongly along the inside to finish second, 2m from the winner.
Soho Shakedown, owned and bred in Victoria by Rob Watson, has been most impressive in earning $75,867 from eight wins and two second placings from 12 starts.
His sire Soho Tribeca amassed $1,103,854 from 21 wins and 24 placings from 59 starts, and Soho Shakedown is the third foal out of Soho All Shook Up, who was retired after racing twice as a two-year-old in Victoria for one win, at Maryborough in February 2017.
Soho Tribeca did much of his racing in Victoria, and he was prepared by Prentice for his 17 appearances in Western Australia which produced six wins and eight placings. Highlights of those runs were his win in the Golden Nugget in December 2016 when he defeated Nathans Courage and Chicago Bull, his second to Chicago Bull in the Fremantle Cup in January 2017 and his victory over Chicago Bull in the WA Pacing Cup in January 2018.
Nothing would give Prentice greater pleasure than a win by Soho Shakedown in this year’s Golden Nugget.
“There is a race for four-year-olds next Friday night, and Soho Shakedown will go around in that,” said Prentice. “And after that we will map out a program leading up to the Nugget.
“At home Soho Shakedown is a beautiful-looking horse, but out on the track he looks very small and pretty ordinary because he races with his head down.
“He leaves all his good work for the races. He doesn’t care what happens at home on the track. Any horse can work with him and beat him. But come race day he’s like John Worsfold crossing the white line.
“I have had him since day one and broke him in. He was in the yearling sales in Melbourne, and I was able to persuade Robbie (Watson) to withdraw him and allow me to take him home.”
Delightful Peg Shines, First-Up
Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr produced Delighful Peg in fine fettle for her first-up appearance for four months when she overcame the awkward draw at barrier No. 5 to score a stylish victory in the $25,000 Slot Opportunities Free-For-All for mares over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Gary Hall Jnr got Delightful Peg, the $1.85 favourite, away to a flying start and she gave an excellent frontrunning performance to rate 1.55.2 in winning by more than a length from Penny Black, who fought on gamely after racing without cover all the way.
“There is a lot to like about her,” said Hall. “On the home turn I expected that she would go to the line pretty much locked together with Penny Black. Her last hundred was really pleasing.”
Delightful Peg, a New Zealand-bred four-year-old, has won at five of her six starts in Western Australia and gives every indication that she will develop into a leading candidate for the rich feature events for mares later in the year. Her first-up success improved her career record to 26 starts for eight wins, three placings and $119,388 in stakes.
Delightful Peg’s win gave Hall the first leg of a driving treble. He was also successful with Scooter B in the Mick Bandoni Celt Pace and Getn Wiggy Withit in the Taste of WA Pace.
Scooter B, the $1.50 favourite, began from barrier eight and settled at the rear before being sent forward after 700m to race outside the pacemaker and stablemate Atlas The Titan ($13). Scooter B got to the front with 120m to travel and won by a length from $31 chance Major Disco, who sustained a spirited burst from the rear.
Eight-year-old Getn Wiggy Withit was a $7.80 chance when he lined up at barrier No. 3 for his first run after a 15-week absence. He was produced in excellent shape by Gnangara trainer Luke Edwards, and was driven aggressively by Hall, who dashed him straight to the front and after a lead time of 7.5sec. sprinted over the opening 400m section in 28.7sec. with the $2.25 favourite Wicked Hustler in the breeze.
Getn Wiggy Withit excelled in his pacemaking role, and he won by more than two lengths from $15 chance Franco Mecca, who ran home strongly from fifth at the bell, three back on the pegs.
“Luke was confident before the race,” said Hall. “He expected him to be virtually unbeatable if he found the front. It all turned out well. I let him slide over the short trip. His will to win has been questionable at times, but he got a big enough break and was happy to hold it.”
