SHEER ROYALTY SET FOR GOLDEN GIRLS MILE

Breeder-owner Ross Torre has high hopes of winning the Golden Girls Mile for the second time in the space of two years when brilliant five-year-old Sheer Royalty contests the $20,000 event at Pinjarra on September 27.

Torre was successful with Amongst Royalty when Gary Hall jun. drove her to a most impressive victory over Dianalyn in the Golden Girls Mile at a 1.55.1 rate in September 2008.

Sheer Royalty, trained at Hazelmere by Mike Reed, maintained her superb form when she scored a stylish victory over All In Baby and The Rocket Band in the Chaff City Leading Trainer Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, rating 1.57.6 over 2130m.

The win took Sheer Royalty’s record to nine wins and six placings from 27 starts for stakes of $247,419. Amongst Royalty, like Sheer Royalty, is by Parsons Den and she has been a magnificent performer, with 86 starts for 23 wins, 27 placings and earnings of $570,820.

Sheer Royalty, favourite at 2/1 on, gave reinsman Mark Reed some anxious moments when she was fractious in the score-up. But Reed settled the mare and she began speedily from the outside of the front line.

Pamper set the early pace, with Copper Beach Girl on her outside and The Rocket Band next on the pegs. Reed eased Sheer Royalty towards the rear soon after the start before sending her forward, three wide, with 1350m to travel. She then burst to the front at the 950m and was untroubled to score by a length.

Sheer Royalty has taken time to mature after winning only once from her first 14 starts. She now has won at eight of her past 13 starts. As a three-year-old early last year she won the Dainty’s Daughter Classic, the WA Oaks and State Sires Series final.

She is the first foal out of Orange Pip, a mare who had 46 starts in WA for seven wins, 11 placings and stakes of $34,456. Orange Pip’s dam Richfield Lady earned $21,486 from her five wins and 13 placings from 65 starts.

 MEDIA GUILD CUP BECKONS HAS THE ANSWERS

Now for the Media Guild Cup next Friday night. That’s the plan for star pacer Has The Answers after yet another commanding performance at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he scored an effortless win over Motu Treasure and Mysta Magical Mach in the $25,000 Stallion Station FHRC New Seasons Pace.

His 5m victory for Byford trainer Tony Svilicich and reinsman Chris Lewis improved his record to 47 wins and 42 placings for earnings of $731,799.

Has The Answers, favourite at 3/1 on, began with typical brilliance from the outside of the front line, but he had to work harder than usual to cross the polemarker Motu Treasure after 250m.

Once in front, Lewis restrained Has The Answers and was particularly mindful in the final circuit of not allowing the eight-year-old to dash away and give Motu Treasure plenty of time to wind up for a strong finish.

Motu Treasure gained a clear run in the home straight, but the bird had flown and he finished determinedly without threatening danger. Nevertheless, it was a splendid performance by the M0-class pacer.

Has The Answers sprinted the final 400m in 57.6sec. and could have gone faster. He rated 1.57.6 over the 2130m, well outside his track record of 1.55.7 over 2130m.

The run of the race was put in by his stablemate Mysta Magical Mach, who broke in the score-up and lost 30m. Morgan Woodley then urged Mysta Magical Mach and the six-year-old came from last after 500m with a three-wide move which took him to third (three wide) at the 1200m mark and into the breeze with 1000m to travel. He fought on in grand style.

All Courage, making his first appearance in top-class company, performed well, sustaining a strong three-wide run from tenth at the bell to finish fourth.

 DOUBLE GIVES OLIVIERI A FLYING START

Oakford trainer Ross Olivieri made a flying start to the new season, winning with his first two starters, Big Town Drive and Gary Bromac, at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Gary Bromac, an 11/2 chance, made the most of a concession for a junior driver, with the M2-class pacer being able to contest a race restricted to M1-class horses.

The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old was driven by 22-year-old Chris Voak and the win gave him his second success in a metropolitan-class event.

Gary Bromac has certainly made the most of the recent new drop-down regulation which allows a pacer to drop back a class (from M2 upwards) after a losing sequence of ten. Gary Bromac was an M2-class pacer at the end of June before dropping back to M1-class company.

He then was successful at his first run back as an M1-class pacer. Gary Bromac, by Holmes Hanover, now boasts a record of 81 starts for 16 wins and 14 placings for stakes of $113,346.
At his previous win (as an M1-class pacer), Gary Bromac thundered home from last with 300m to travel to beat Barachias by a head. On Friday night, he revealed his great versatility by setting the pace and sprinting the final 400m in beating Dellas Jack by 2m at a 1.59.6 rate over 2130m.

Gary Bromac now has won five times in New Zealand, four times in Victoria and seven times in WA. He is a half-brother to Gilt Bromac, a winner of $173,857 from her 20 wins and 20 placings from 58 starts. Gilt Pleasure finished third behind Kept For Pleasure in the $100,000 group 1 Australasian Breeders Crown for four-year-old mares at Melton in August 2009.

Chris Lewis began the season in grand style by driving 5/1 chance Big Town Drive to victory over Talk It Up and Face Your Fears in the Cool Clear Water Group Pace. Lewis completed a double with Has The Answers and then he and Olivieri combined to win with Hirli Birli Lombo at Gloucester Park on Saturday night.

The Victorian-bred Big Town Drive entered Olivieri’s stables a few months ago with a losing sequence of 13. The Sports Town seven-year-old now has had seven starts in WA for Olivieri for three wins and two placings.

Big Town Drive started speedily from the outside of the back line and moved outside the pacemaker Open Class with 1200m to travel. He forged to the front 250m from home and won by 2m from Talk It Up, who raced without cover early before enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.

Dominating Diomedes, favourite at 10/9 on, started from the outside of the front line and raced in last position before following the three-wide run of Irish O’Neill approaching the bell. However, Irish O’Neill broke in the back straight and Dominating Diomedes was checked and broke before finishing ninth.

 ALBERT JACCKA RESUMES IN SPARKLING STYLE

Victorian-bred eight-year-old Albert Jaccka made a triumphant return to racing after a spell when he unwound a sparkling late sprint to score an effortless victory in the Whole Body Vibration Pacer of the Year Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Boyanup horseman Kim Prentice made the most of the opportunity to drive Albert Jaccka for leading trainer Gary Hall sen. when Gary Hall jun. decided to drive the Murray Hanson-trained Truckers Ruffnut.

Albert Jaccka, who had won easily at his two previous starts, both 2503m standing-start events at Gloucester Park in April, was a 13/2 chance off the 20m mark, with Truckers Ruffnut, handicapped off 10m, a hot favourite at 7/4 on.

However, Truckers Ruffnut galloped very badly about 25m after the start and trailed his rivals throughout. Crusaders Crest, having his first start since May, dashed to the front after 200m and set a solid pace, with Our Mercurio moving to his outside with two laps to travel.

Our Mercurio got to the front 350m from home, but Albert Jaccka, who had  raced in sixth place in the one-wide line, sprinted fast to burst to the front at the 250m mark. He went on to win by 5m from Mister Odds On, who finished solidly from seventh at the bell.

Albert Jaccka, by Albert Albert, has been most impressive since arriving in WA from Victoria with a losing sequence of ten. He now has had seven WA starts for four wins and a second and has a career record of 107 starts for 19 wins, 40 placings and $180,693.

 REDDAS LAST GIVES FEAST HIS FIRST CITY SUCCESS

Chris Feast landed his first metropolitan winner as a trainer when Reddas Last gave a strong frontrunning performance to beat 2/1 on favourite Solomon Maguire by a head in the 2130m WBV Power Foot 1500 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Reddas Last, a 17/1 tote chance driven by Shannon Suvaljko, ended a losing sequence of ten and revealed admirable fighting qualities to hold Solomon Maguire at bay in a neck-and-neck struggle throughout the final lap.

Three comfortable quarters of the final mile in 33sec., 31/4sec. and 30.7sec. left Reddas Last with the spirit and strength to sprint the final 400m in 28.8sec.

Solomon Maguire, who had raced in the breeze before winning from Alby Albert over the same journey a week earlier, raced without cover all the way before fighting on with loads of determination.

The win was Reddas Last’s sixth from 45 starts. He was bred in WA and is by Kinney Hanover out of Victorian-bred mare Zeya, who won once in Victoria, three times in South Australia and nine times in WA in a 90-stat career which included 26 placings. She earned $54,151.

Bombora Lombo, second favourite at 4/1, did not threaten danger. He was fifth early and seventh at the bell before switching four wide 300m from home. He battled on to finish fifth.

 PANCHO MAGUIRE IS ON THE WAY UP

New Zealand-bred six-year-old Pancho Maguire is developing into an outstanding standing-start performer for Hazelmere trainer and part-owner Michael Brennan.

Starting from 10m and favourite at 10/9 on, Pancho Maguire worked hard without cover for much of the 2503m journey before getting his head in front 450m from home and then holding off a late challenge from Son of Fergie to win by just under a length.
Gary Hall jun. settled Pancho Maguire in ninth position before he sent him forward, four wide, after a lap. Pancho Maguire then moved outside the pacemaker Fast Play with 1500m to travel and he impressed in running the final two 400m sections in 29.6sec. and 28.1sec.

Son of Fergie rattled home from tenth at the bell to be second and he will pay to follow. Lukcon Lad also ran home powerfully, coming from 12th at the bell to be fifth. Fast Play, who raced three wide for the first 450m before getting to the front 100m later, battled on gamely into third position.

Pancho Maguire, by Christian Cullen, won twice from 16 starts in New Zealand and he now has had 18 starts in WA for nine wins and three placings.

 THE FINAL WORD PROVES TO BE A GOOD BUY

Astute Byford trainer Tony Svilicich has no regrets about his decision to outlay $5000 to claim veteran pacer The Final Word at Pinjarra early in July when the gelding had a losing sequence of 22.

The oldstager gave a strong staying performance to romp to victory in the Chaff City Choice of Champions Claiming Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This took his earnings for Svilicich to $12,500 from two wins and two placings from ten starts. The Final Word started from the back line and was an 8/1 chance.

Colin Brown dashed The Final Word forward in the early stages and the nine-year-old gelding raced outside the pacemaker Flaming Roadstar (9/4) before forging to the front 100m from the finish and winning by 7m from Flaming Roadstar, with Flying Nemo rattling home late to be third.

The Final Word, who rated 1.56.7, now has won 18 times from 104 starts. He was a highly-promising two-year-old, winning at his first two starts --- by six lengths in a heat and by four lengths in the final of the Western Crown Classic at Gloucester Park in November 2003.

 PEDAL TO THE METAL CAUSES AN UPSET

Pedal To The Metal, having his ninth start after an injury-enforced absence of 32 months, caused an upset when he stormed home to snatch victory over the 10/9 favourite Denzel Washington in the 2130m Whole Body Vibration 3000 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The nine-year-old Kinney Hanover gelding, a 26/1 outsider, was given a perfect run, one-out and one-back, by Pinjarra reinsman Ron Young before he charged home to hit the front in the final 60m to score by almost a length.

Mr Clancy, who had worked hard outside the pacemaking Denzel Washington, got his nose in front on the home turn before wilting in the final stages to be third, just ahead of the fast-finishing Governor Art.

Pedal To The Metal now has had 52 starts for 12 wins, 12 placings and stakes of $81,493. The gelding was bred and is trained by Young’s wife Karen.

Consistent six-year-old On All Fours boosted his earnings to $99,780 when he gave a splendid frontrunning display to win the 2130m Cool Clear Water Filtration Systems Pace. It was his 15th win from 45 starts.

On All Fours, favourite at 2/1 on and trained at Serpentine by Amanda Suvaljko, was driven confidently by her husband Callan. The WA-bred gelding gave his rivals little chance when he sprinted over the final 800m in 57.1sec. He rated 1.57.9.

Not Bad Johnnie, second fancy at 4/1, started from the outside barrier in the field of nine and Shane Young dashed him forward, three wide, in the early stages before he worked hard in the breeze. He fought on tenaciously to finish second, a length from the winner.