SEVEN WINNERS --- AND HALL OVERHAULS LEWIS

Gary Hall jun. struck top form with a vengeance with a treble at Gloucester Park on Friday night and four more winners the following evening to forge past arch rival Chris Lewis and take the lead in the battle for the title of the leading metropolitan reinsman for 2009-2010.

During this purple patch the 28-year-old Hall drove six winners in the space of seven drives.

The 55-year-old Lewis managed only one winner at these two city meetings and he has relinquished his lead on the premiership list.

Hall shows the way with 127 winners from 505 city drives, with Lewis on 124 winners from 642 drives. They are followed by Colin Brown (78), Morgan Woodley (62) and Shannon Suvaljko (50).

The enthralling battle for supremacy between Hall and Lewis is sure to create tremendous interest in the next three weeks when there will be seven meetings at Gloucester Park.

Hall landed a treble on Friday night with Partywiththedevil, Im Themightyquinn and Nat Serling and he was successful on the following night with My Jasami, Donovan Bromac, Kamwood Girl and Truckers Ruffnut. Lewis won with the Ross Olivieri-trained Alby Albert on Saturday night.

Lewis still holds a comfortable lead for the award as the State’s leading driver. He has had 989 drives on tracks throughout WA this season for 198 winners and leads Hall, who has had 688 drives for 174 winners. They are followed by Suvaljko (135), Brown (134) and Woodley (117).

Hazelmere trainer Gary Hall sen. reached a milestone on Saturday night when New Zealand-bred three-year-old My Jasami made a successful Australian debut in scoring a smart win over The Governator in the 1730m Retravision Pace.

This gave Hall his 100th city training success for the season. He now has trained 102 winners and leads from Olivieri (75) and Greg Bond (41). In the competition for the State’s leading trainer on all tracks, Hall leads with 123 wins from Olivieri (111), Andrew de Campo (78) and Amanda Suvaljko (66).

 IM THEMIGHTYQUINN SMASHES STATE RECORD

Star five-year-old Im Themightyquinn enhanced his reputation and strengthened his standing as one of the best pacers in Australia when he overcame the tough handicap of 80m to score a magnificent victory in the $25,000 Ausnet Real Estate Marathon Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Driven in superb condition by leading trainer Gary Hall sen. and driven expertly by his son Gary, the New Zealand-bred gelding smashed the WA record for 3309m with an outstanding mile rate of 2.0.4. This eclipsed the record of 2.2.1 set by No Blue Manna when he started from 50m and won the 2005 Marathon Handicap from Highest Honour and Aztec Symbol.

Im Themightyquinn’s victory made amends for Vintage Concerto’s head second as a 2/1 favourite in the 2007 Marathon Handicap won by outsider Tuanaki.

The world now appears to be Im Themightyquinn’s oyster. He is sure to prove hard to beat in forthcoming rich feature events, including the Miracle Mile at Menangle in November, the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park next summer and the Hunter Cup at Melton next February.

Im Themightyquinn, favourite at 2/1 on, shared the back mark of 80m with Has The Answers and Hall jun. stole an early march on his rival when Im Themightyquinn began faster and settled two lengths in front of Has The Answers.

The field of seven settled down in Indian file before Grant Williams sent Christopher Three past rank outsider and sole frontmarker Tuanaki and into the lead after 350m. Mark Reed then dashed Undertheinfluence to the front 170m later.

Undertheinfluence set the pace with the field back in Indian file before Kim Prentice made the first significant move, sending Spirit of Shard forward 850m f4rom home.

Undertheinfluence was still in sixth place at that stage and was being tracked by Has The Answers. Spirit of Shard moved into the breeze with 650m to travel, with Hall still biding his time.

Eventually, Hall switched Im Themightyquinn three wide 275m from home and he sprinted brilliantly. Spirit of Shard took a narrow lead on the home turn, but was swamped by Im Themightyquinn, who burst to the front 90m from the post and went on to score by a half-length from the fast-finishing Has The Answers.

The final 800m was covered in 56.6sec., with the last 400m taking 28sec. Christopher Three battled on gamely to be third, with Spirit of Shard a wilting fourth, Mysta Magical Mach fifth, Undertheinfluence sixth and Tuanaki a distant last.

Im Themightyquinn, a son of Washington VC, now boasts a marvellous record of 19 wins and 19 placings from 54 starts for earnings of $724,489.

 A DOUBLE AND A SUSPENSION FOR WILLIAMS

Karnup horseman Grant Williams maintained his wonderful form with a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but his celebrations were dampened when his licence to drive was suspended for nine days.

Williams was successful with Haagen Das (Wright-Gigi Pace) and All Courage (Landmark Settlement Stakes).

The stewards suspended him when they found him guilty of shifting outwards and contributing to interference to Jordangarry (Chris Lewis) with just over a lap to travel. Jordangarry broke into a gallop and dropped back to finish last.

Haagen Das, a 6/1 chance who was in fifth place when Williams eased him off the pegs, sustained a strong burst to hit the front 30m from the post and win by a half-length from the pacemaker Aldebaran Swannee, with Tara Village running on along the inside to be third.

Mark Reed, who drove Aldebaran Swannee, had his licence suspended for ten days for having allowed Aldebarran Swannee to shift outwards in the run to post and provide an inside run for Tara Village.

Haagen Das, a five-year-old by Village Jasper and bred in New Zealand, has been a consistent performer, who now has had 55 starts for 12 wins, 19 placings and $96,714.

All Courage, a six-year-old Courage Under Fire gelding, moved to an M3 mark when he charged to the front 450m after the start, set a solid pace and won by a length from Astrolabe Storm, rating 1.59.6 over 2536m.

All Courage, favourite at 7/4, dashed over the final 800m in 58.1sec. and easily held the fast-finishing Astrolabe Storm at bay. Gary Bromac, who led early and then trailed the pacemaker, battled on to be third, just ahead of Nowuseeme.

All Courage is out of New Zealand mare Donna’s Gold and is a half-brother to smart three-year-old filly Ella Sue, who has earned $60,477 from her eight wins and three placings from 16 starts.

 MAGICLITTLEPARTNER HAS THE PEDIGREE TO SUCCEED

Magiclittlepartner, brilliant last-to-first winner of the Ausnet Opportunities Fund Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night, is related to a couple of wonderfully durable pacers who between them had 611 starts for 94 wins and 198 placings for combined earnings of $662,621.

The Victorian-bred Magiclittlepartner is a four-year-old by Village Jasper out of Gaviston, whose dam Gavilgold produced nine winners, including full-brothers No Damage and Natures Fury.

No Damage had 294 starts for 46 wins, 94 placings and stakes of $240,428 and Natures Fury had 317 starts for 48 wins, 104 placings and $422,193.

Magiclittlepartner had four starts in Victoria as a two-year-old for three wins before coming to WA where she now has had 32 starts for seven wins and ten placings. Her total earnings now stand at $87,015.

Magiclittlepartner, trained at Hazelmere by Sarah Dacey, was a 12/1 chance who was driven with great precision by 20-year-old Kyle Harper.

Harper wisely restrained Magiclittlepartner from barrier eight and the mare raced in tenth position before Harper took her forward from 12th at the 1000m to follow the three-wide run of Copper Beach Girl
   
The heavily-supported 5/4 favourite Gypsy Franco set the pace, with Sheer Royalty, in the breeze, putting pressure on her. Magiclittlepartner went four wide 400m from home and sustained a powerful burst to win by a head from Tuahiwi Wild Girl, who finished boldly after trailing the leader throughout. Copper Beach Girl was a head away in third place.

 REID’S AGGRESSION A BIG FACTOR IN INDOMITABLE SAAB’S VICTORY

An aggressive drive by Wayne Reid paid handsome dividends when Indomitable Saab outstayed Franco Renegade to win the Barry Barr and Associates Stakes for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Franco Renegade (3/1) dashed past the early leader Gday Mate (4/1) to take up the running 400m after the start of the 2536m event.

But Reid, driving Indomitable Saab, the 5/2 favourite, was in no mood to allow any peace in front for Franco Renegade and he urged the colt forward from barrier eight to move outside the pacemaker 500m after the start.

Reid applied the pressure in the final circuit and Indomitable Saab forged past Franco Renegade to hit the front on the home turn. The colt, trained at Wanneroo by Barry Morrison, went on to win by 2m from Franco Renegade, who fought on to finish a nose in front of Key Question, the only filly in the race.

Key Question, a full-sister to star pacer Has The Answers, enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing strongly. Gday Mate, who sat behind the pacemaker, ran on gamely to be a close fourth.

Indomitable Saab, by Saab, improved his record to 27 starts for nine wins and four placings for earnings of $73,313.

 BUBBLES AND BLING OUTSHINES OLDER RIVALS

Four-year-old Bubbles And Bling, the youngest runner in the Perth Building Brokers Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night, proved too strong for his older and more experienced rivals when Justin Prentice drove him to an all-the-way victory.

Having his first start for seven weeks, Bubbles And Bling was produced in splendid shape by Boyanup trainer Kim Prentice and the Island Fantasy gelding was a solidly-backed third favourite at 3/1.

Reddas Last, from barrier two, made a determined bid to take up the running, but he was unable to cross the polemarker Bubbles And Bling, who was joined after 550m by Rockabout Nemo before Chris Lewis moved Bombora Lombo into the breeze after a lap.

Bubbles And Bling reeled off the final two 400m sections in 29sec. and 28.7sec. and was able to withstand the game finishing effort of Bombora Lombo to win by 1m. Talk It Up, who sat behind the pacemaker, was badly blocked for a clear passage in the home straight and was an unlucky third.

Bubbles And Bling, who ended a losing sequence of nine, now has had 20 starts for seven wins, five placings and $53,507. He is out of Queensland-bred mare Vogue Franco.

Pacific Idol caught the eye when he finished boldly from seventh at the bell to be fourth and the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old will pay to follow.

 TRACK RECORD TO SPEEDY ARTEMIS BELLE

Artemis Belle, an $8000 yearling, boosted her earnings to $121,919 when she was unextended in strolling to an easy victory in the Bexley Real Estate Movers Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This was the two-year-old filly’s fifth win from only seven starts and she is sure to develop into a leading prospect for the rich WA Oaks next season.

Artemis Belle, favourite at 5/2 on, started from the outside barrier at No. 8 and trainer Also Cortopassi urged her forward from the outset and was able to get her to the front after 550m.

From then on it was simply a procession and Artemis Belle won by just under two lengths from Sweet Toffee, who had led early before sitting on the back of the pacemaker.

Artemis Belle impressed with her ability to speed over the final two 400m sections in 29.3sec. and 28.2sec. She rated 2.0.7 over the 2130m to break the track record for this journey for two-year-old fillies.

She shared the previous record of 2.0.9 with So Not Blonde.

The consistent Miss Baypoint ran her usual honest race in fighting on to be third after doing all the work in the breeze.

 NAT SERLING COMPLETES TREBLE FOR THE HALLS

Stout-hearted New Zealand-bred four-year-old Nat Serling completed a treble for trainer Gary Hall sen. and reinsman Gary Hall jun. at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he raced three wide for much of the first circuit, took the lead 1500m from home and went on to win the 2536m Ausnet Financial Planning Services Stakes from All In Baby and Face Your Fears.

The Halls were also successful with Partywiththedevil and Im Themightyquinn.

Nat Serling, the strongly-supported 5/4 favourite, held on to beat the fast-finishing All In Baby by 1m to improve his record to 51 starts for ten wins and ten placings for earnings of $79,120.

Earlier, Partywiththedevil completed a hat-trick of wins when he scored a fighting victory over On All Fours and Mister Hannible.

Hall jun. restrained Partywiththedevil from barrier eight and the five-year-old settled down in ninth position while polemarker Governor Art led from McGintysgoat.

After a lap Hall sent Partywiththedevil forward with a sparkling burst of speed and the gelding quickly took up the position outside the pacemaker.

Partywiththedevil got to the front in the final 100m and held on to win narrowly from On All Fours, who had enjoyed a soft trip in fifth place on the pegs. The gelding now has had six starts in WA for South Australian owner Bevan Deaman for four wins and two placings.

Evergreen ten-year-old Earl of Locksley chalked up his 30th win and boosted his earnings to $289,654 when Callan Suvaljko brought him home with a well-timed burst to score in a four-way photo-finish from Touch Me Toes, Flying Nemo and Parasite in the 2130m The Porter Matthews Dash For Cash Stakes.

Suvaljko, driving the gelding for his wife, Serpentine trainer Amanda Suvaljko, sat behind the pacemaker, stablemate Same Old Macray before issuing his challenge in the home straight.

Parasite, racing first-up, had taken the lead 500m from home before Touch Me Toes had dashed to the lead with 220m to travel. Suvaljko, who was able to ease Earl of Locksley off the pegs into the one-wide line, got the oldstager to the front about 25m from the post.