MILLWOOD MEG GIVES BOND AND BROWN THIRD GROUP 1 TRIUMPH

Powerful filly Millwood Meg made a one-act affair of the $150,000 Gannon’s WA Oaks at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she charged to the front after 500m and then ran her rivals ragged.

The New Zealand-bred filly’s impressive two-and-a-half-length victory over Arctic Fire gave Forrestdale trainer and part-owner Greg Bond and reinsman Colin Brown, as well as a team of enthusiastic part-owners, their third group 1 triumph after winning the 2005 WA Derby with Richard Henry and the 2006 Fremantle Cup with Money Magnet.

Bond races Millwood Meg with Brad Collett, Kevin, Rob and John Gartrell, Andrew Foster, Craig Hampson and R. J. Manley and the filly, who won five times from 16 starts in New Zealand, has earned $115,329 from three wins and a close second from her four WA appearances.

The connections had a worrying time in the weeks leading up to the classic and Bond had to give Millwood Meg a restricted preparation as she recovered from a quarter crack in a hoof. However, she was spot on for the big race and her owners were so confident that they wore specially-made black and red Millwood Meg caps.

Elite Angel began brilliantly from the No. 4 barrier, but was unable to cross polemarker Corza Commotion, who led for the first 500m before Brown sent Millwood Meg to the lead.

Millwood Meg, tote favourite at 10/9 on, relished her frontrunning role and she sprinted brilliantly over the final 800m in 56.5sec. to win easily from Arctic Fire, who had enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back for most of the 2536m journey. Outsider Esprit Bromac finished strongly from eighth at the bell to be third, with Ella Sue battling on into fourth place after working hard without cover over the final couple of laps.

Millwood Meg rated a slick 1.58.3, the second best time recorded in the classic. The record rate of 1.57.5 was set by Victorian filly Jane Ellen when Vin Knight drove her to victory over Hey Misty and Happy Helen in 1989.

Millwood Meg, by Mach Three, is out of Millwood Pride, the dam of top-class performer Ohoka Utah, who has contested the past two interdominion championships, with his best performance being a head second to Awesome Armbro in the group 2 interdominion consolation on the gold coast in March 2009.

Ohoka Utah has had 46 starts for 14 wins and nine placings for earnings of $196,018. He won the Easter Cup in Launceston in April 2009 and the group 3 Four-Year-Old Bonanza at Moonee Valley in February 2009.

 LITTLE BIG SISTER SMASHES RACE RECORD

Little Big Sister, a disappointment when beaten at short prices at her previous two starts, relished the opportunity to be driven from behind when she unleashed a dazzling finishing burst to score a runaway victory in the $35,000 Schweppes Races For Roses over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Her win over Sunsets West and Nowuseeme was the first leg of a feature double for trainer Greg Bond and reinsman Colin Brown, who combined to win the following event, the WA Oaks, with Millwood Meg.

This was Little Big Sister’s first appearance in a stand in WA after she had been placed four times in stands in New Zealand. A winner at ten of her 41 starts, she has had 16 starts in WA for six wins and seven placings for New Zealand owners Gladwyn and Sharon Rack  

The Christian Cullen mare, who came from tenth in the middle stages and eighth at the bell to hit the front, out four wide with 250m to travel, zoomed over the final 800m in 58sec. and her rate of 2.0.4 which smashed the race record of 2.1, set in 2007 by Lady de Beau

“I thought she was a good thing after her tremendous trial at Byford last Sunday,” Brown said. “She got away well in the standing-start trial, but a false start was declared. Then she began badly in the re-start and made up a great deal of ground to finish second to Franco Endure.”

Little Big Sister began slowly from 10m on Friday night and settled down at the rear while Copper Beach Girl burst to the front and set a brisk pace.

Ruby Dazzler, the 2/1 favourite, went forward to race without cover in the middle stages, but she was a spent force when the pressure went on in the final circuit and wilted to ninth. Little Big Sister charged to the front at the 250m mark and careered away from her rivals to score by four and a half lengths from rank outsider Sunsets West and Nowuseeme.

 CHILLIN DYLAN BURSTS BACK TO HIS BEST

Talented colt Chillin Dylan burst back to form with a vengeance at Gloucester Park on Friday night after four unplaced efforts to score an easy upset victory over the 5/2 on favourite Why Live Dangerously in the Spring Valley Pace.

A winner at five of his first six starts, Chillin Dylan, a grey by American stallion Western Terror, had no luck when 11th, eighth, ninth and sixth at his next four outings.

Bunbury trainer John Graham produced the Neven Botica-owned Chillin Dylan in top shape on Friday night and Chris Lewis dashed him forward, three wide, to move into the breeze outside Celtic Crusader 450m after the start.

Chillin Dylan, second favourite on the tote at 11/2, then obtained a perfect trail 900m from home when Gary Hall; jun. moved forward with Why Live Dangerously to race without cover.

Why Live Dangerously took the lead 300m from home and looked set to score a comfortable win. But he was left flat-footed as Chillin Dylan sprinted fast, burst to the front 60m from the post and won by 11m, rating a brilliant 1.55.8, which was a tenth of a second outside the Franco Jazzman’s track record rate for a three-year-old over 1730m.

The Feather Foot finished gamely from sixth at the bell to be third, with Celtic Crusader fading to fifth. Old McDonald, an impressive all-the-way winner at his debut, started from the outside of the back line and raced three wide over the final 1100m before wilting to seventh.

 WINTER RETREAT GIVES WILLIAMS A DOUBLE

Ultra consistent five-year-old Winter Retreat completed a double for Grant Williams when the Karnup horseman drove him to a convincing win over Waikawa Bay and Pacific Black in the 2503m Gannon’s Presentation Rugs And Sashes Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Williams was successful earlier in the night with Touch Me Toes in the Gatorade Claiming Pace. However, a severe headache prevented him from driving Christopher Three in the final event.

Winter Retreat, conqueror of champion Has The Answers the previous week, was a 5/1 chance off 20m on Friday night when Williams drove him with aggression and confidence.

Winter Retreat, a gelding by Armbro Operative and owned by Rob Tomlinson’s Oz-West Pacing syndicate, Davin Elzas, Dot Williams, Andrew Howie and Paul Everett, dashed forward to race outside the pacemaker Pacific Black after a lap.

Williams then applied the pressure on the leader and Winter Retreat took up the running 950m after the start. This left Money Twitch (who had been trapped out wide early) in the breeze, with Conte Centovalli ideally placed, one-out and one-back.

Total Defiance, favourite at 6/4, was last with 1200m to travel before he went forward with a three-wide run. He moved to second, three wide, with 300m to travel, but faded to dead-heat for eighth place. Winter Retreat sprinted the final 800m in 57.4sec. to give Total Defiance little chance to make up ground in the run to the post.

Williams made the most of a chance drive to land Touch Me Toes (9/2) a narrow winner of the Gatorade Pace, with the Our Sir Vancelot gelding scoring in a three-way photo finish with other seasoned eight-year-old campaigners in Rostriever Ornum and Our Slick Whitby.

Williams was offered the drive behind Touch Me Toes when owner Nathan Turvey preferred to handle stablemate Power In Disguise (50/1).

The South Australian-bred Touch Me Toes and Power In Disguise are trained at Baldividis by Natalie Hall and Touch Me Toes has proved to be a good buy for Turvey, who claimed the gelding for $10,000 last month.    

Touch Me Toes has had four starts for Turvey and Hall for a win and three seconds in claimers for stakes of $12,560. He has won twice in New South Wales, 11 times in Victoria and seven times from 27 starts in WA. His career record is 133 starts for 20 wins, 44 placings and stakes of $185,935.

Touch Me Toes started from barrier seven and settled in 11th position before Williams took him three wide after a lap. The gelding was eighth, out wide, at the bell and sustained a solid burst to get up and beat the pacemaker Rostriever Ornum, with Our Slick Whitby a close-up third after racing very wide early and then working hard in the breeze.

 CONDIPODERO AND OUR GENT A WINNING COMBINATION

Four-year-old WA-bred gelding Our Gent, related to former star performers Whitby Timer, Whitby Heritage and Whitbys Merit, maintained his consistent form when he worked hard before winning the Schweppes Sparkling water Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Our Gent has been a wonderful moneyspinner for breeder Ian Davie, with his earnings now $96,980 from ten wins and 19 placings from 48 starts.

And forming a wonderful partnership with Our Gent over the past seven months is Kyle Condipodero, who has driven the gelding 16 times for three wins and nine placings.

Our Gent, favourite at 6/4, started from barrier eight and Condipodero took him three over the first 700m before settling outside the pacemaker Wattabout Jasper.

Our Gent forged to the front 350m from home and held on to win by 1m from fast-finishing 40/1 chance Fingal, a seven-year-old owned by Greg Bond, Kevin, Rob and John Gartrell, Craig Hampson and Andrew Foster, part-owners of Millwood Meg who won the WA Oaks later in the program.
 
Out Gent is out of Our Heiress, a mare who won once (at Kalgoorlie in September 2000) and earned $3531 from 18 starts.  Our Heiress is out Whitbys Heritage (22 wins, 18 placings and $201,750 from 66 starts).

Whitbys Heritage is out of former smart pacer Remit, who has produced eight winners, including Whitby Time (44 starts for 23 wins, eight placings and $314,899) and Whitbys Merit (14 starts for ten wins, two placings and $168,598).

 INTHE BARRACK PROVES A WONDERFUL BARGAIN

Nine happy owners have got the bargain of the year in outlaying only $10,000 for talented New Zealand-bred four-year-old Inthe Barrack.

The Badlands Hanover gelding contested a claimer at Gloucester Park two weeks ago and he attracted nine claimants, with a ballot resulting in Garry and Janine Scott, Fred and Lesley Laycock, Greg Dick, Shane Morrissy, Todd Hughes, Matthew Donnelly and Anthony Maguire securing the highly-promising pacer.

Inthe Barrack then entered the Serpentine stables of Matt Scott, elder son of Garry and Janine Scott, and he had his first start for his new owners in the 2130m Solo Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Driven by Gary Hall jun., Inthe Barrack, favourite at 5/4, worked hard outside the pacemaker Lord Hurst before forging to the front 350m from home and winning easily by two lengths from fast-finishing outsider Diablo Pass and Christopher Three, covering the final 800m in 58.3sec. and rating 2.0.2.

 Inthe Barrack earned $11,055 for his win and he should be capable of winning many more races. He won three times from 15 starts in New Zealand before being purchased by Alan Bell to race in WA where he finished a good first-up fourth at Pinjarra and then impressed with his strong third in fast time behind Rostriever Ornum and Touch Me Toes in a Gloucester Park claimer on April 30.

Im Light Hearted, second favourite to Inthe Barrack on the tote, let his supporters down when he broke badly in the score-up and was retired from the event. Last-start winner Zanardi was tenth at the bell finishing stoutly to be fourth.

 DEATH ADDA SHOWS PLENTY OF PROMISE

WA-bred four-year-old Death Adda gave promise of better things to come when he scored an easy win over Bubbles And Bling and Alfa Poppy in the Coolridge Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

An 8/1 chance starting from barrier seven, Death Adda was sent forward early by Callan Suvaljo and took up the running after 650m. His slick final 800m in 57.2sec. gave the opposition little chance of overhauling him.

Bubbles And Bling, favourite at 2/1, worked hard without cover and fought on determinedly. He will pay to follow. Alfa Poppy (50/1), who led early and then sat behind the pacemaker, did well to finish third, ahead of 3/1 chance Rigatoni, who sustained a solid three-wide run from the rear.

Death Adda, by Rich And Spoilt, was bred by Harry Capararo. He is out of New Zealand mare Carefree Gourmet, who had 42 starts for six wins, 12 placings and $19,965 in stakes. Carfree Gourmet won five times in South Australia and her one win from 17 WA starts was at Kalgoorlie in August 2001.

Carefree Gourmet has since produced four winners, Adda Cool Mil, Adda Little Cash, Death Adda and Room To Zoom.

Adda Cool Mil has had 43 starts for seven wins, 13 placings and stakes of $104,330; Adda Little Cash has earned $36,293 from eight wins and ten placings from 38 starts; and Room To Zoom has had 16 starts for one wins and five placings for earnings of $12,788.

 SPUNKY MONKEY MAKES THE MOST OF A LET-UP

South Australian-bred seven-year-old Spunky Monkey went into the Gannon’s Pacing Colours Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night with handsome earnings of $89,347 and he made the most of a drop in class and a return to M1-class company by setting the pace and holding on to win by a head from Barjohbil.

Spunky Monkey, owned by Ian Lonie and trained by Kate Hawkins, was driven in fine style by Ryan Bell. The gelding received the wonderful bonus of a reduction in his assessment from M2 class to M1 class after a losing sequence of ten.

Spunky Monkey, a Vanston Hanover pacer who placed once from his previous ten starts, was a firm 6/4 favourite because of his generous reassessment and his ideal draw at No. 4.

Polemarker Basil Brush led for the first 150m before Bell sent the noted frontrunner Spunky Monkey to the lead. The gelding bowled along in front and dashed over the final 800m in 57.8sec. to win in a photo from the gallant Barjohbil, who had worked hard in the breeze throughout.

Strezlecki Warrior, seventh in the one-wide line at the bell, was hampered for room until late before finishing strongly into third place.

Spunky Monkey now has earned $100,402 from his 13 wins and 25 placings from 73 starts. He has won three times in South Australia, and five times each in Victoria and WA.

Luminous Lombo completed a hat-trick of wins when he began speedily from barrier eight, took the lead after 450m and set a fast pace before winning by just over a length from Bronzwhaler Whitby, who had worked hard without cover all the way in the Gannon’s Horse Talk Figurines Pace.

Luminous Lombo, a five-year-old by Northern Lights, had won 12 races from 65 starts in Victoria before arriving in WA where he has had five starts for owner Paul Poli and trainer Ross Olivieri for three wins, a fourth and a first-up tenth.