IM THEMIGHTYQUINN SOUNDS OMINOUS WARNING

Beware Im Themightyquinn! That was the ominous warning issued by the champion five-year-old after he had produced yet another scintillating performance to beat arch rival Has The Answers in the $35,000 DBC Tender Ridge Beef August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The warning came loud and clear to the connections of Australia’s best pacers. Im Themightyquinn will take a power of beating in the Miracle Mile in Sydney in November and the Hunter Cup in Melbourne early next year.

Im Themightyquinn, prepared by WA’s leading trainer Gary Hall sen. and driven by his son, Gary, sizzled over the final 800m in a tick under 55sec. to beat the pacemaking Has The Answers by just under a length, rating 1.58.3 over the 2536m journey.

The Cup developed into a thrilling battle of tactics between Hall jun. and Chris Lewis, who won the early fight for ascendancy by firing out Has The Answers brilliantly from the No. 6 barrier.

The Halls had been supremely confident that Im Themightyquinn would show sufficient early speed from barrier four to beat out Has The Answers. But Im Themightyquinn simply did not have the pace to go with the flying Has The Answers once the mobile barrier released the field.

Im Themighytyquinn settled without cover before he obtained a perfect trail, one-out and one-back, when Brian Kersley took Rostriever Ornum forward to work in the breeze in the back straight in the first lap.

Lewis then kept a tight hold on Has The Answers and when the seven-year-old was able to saunter through the first two 400m sections of the final mile in 31.2sec. and 29.6sec. it appeared that Im Themightyquinn would have to produce something special to overhaul Has The Answers in the final circuit.

Hall took Im Themightyquinn three wide with 900m to travel and the gelding zoomed into second place at the 650m mark. Lewis then gave Has The Answers his head, leaving Hall desperately trying to manoeuvre Im Themightyquinn to the pegs behind his flying rival.

Mysta Magical Mach, who had trailed Has The Answers all the way, kicked up and held out Im Themightyquinn for a while before Hall finally was able to get Im Themightyquinn on to the pegs 420m from home.

Hall then got Im Themighyquinn off the inside approaching the home turn and the gelding finished powerfully to burst to the front with about 60m to travel. Has The Answers finished a gallant second, with Mysta Magical Mach fighting on gamely to be third.

Im Themightyquinn might have another start before having a brief spell before being prepared for a tilt at the Miracle Mile.

The gelding, a winner at six of his 27 starts in New Zealand, was sold for $200,000 to WA owners Beth Richardson, Glen Moore, Garry Ralston, Mark Congerton, Joe Barber, Henry McManus and Karen Hall. He now has won at 13 of his 28 starts for his new owners, earning $637,715 to take his career winnings to $747,939.

Im Themightyquinn gave Hall sen. his fifth success in the August Cup after Zakara had won the feature event in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994.

 ARTEMIS BELLE AIMED AT WA OAKS NEXT YEAR

Winning the rich WA Oaks next April is the long-range plan for brilliant filly Artemis Belle after she completed her outstanding two-year-old campaign with a runaway victory in the XXXX Gold Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“She treated her rivals with contempt, again, really,” said trainer Aldo Cortopassi after he had driven Artemis Belle to a four-and-a-half-length win over Soho Nike, rating a smart 1.57.9 over the 1730m.

This equalled the track record for two-year-old fillies, held jointly by Centrefold Angel and Arma Xceptional.

Artemis Belle, favourite at 3/1 on, started from the outside barrier and Cortopassi restrained her back to last before sending her forward, three wide, at the 1200m mark. She moved alongside the pacemaker Forza di Volonta with 900m to travel and eventually took a clear lead 250m from home before racing well clear of her rivals, sprinting the final 400m in 28.2sec.

This gave Artemis Belle a wonderful record of eight starts for six wins and two placings for earnings of $132,639 for owner John Bell.     
 
Cortopassi was somewhat surprised by the pace out of the gate shown by several of Artemis Belle’s rivals and this caused him to quickly change his pre-race plans of attempting to burst straight to the front from the outside barrier.

“My plan was to run the gate,” Cortopassi explained. “But as I’ve come off the gate I’ve looked to my left and everyone was running the gate. So I said that I wasn’t going to be five and six (wide) into the first corner.

“Instead, I just balanced her up and I actually sat last, but three deep. Then, as soon as they settled up front I just let her stride up towards them. She’s a perfect racehorse; she doesn’t pull; she doesn’t hang and she wears no gear.

“I’ve never had a filly as good as her. I’ve driven in plenty of Oaks, but I have never trained an Oaks runner.”

Cortopassi’s best effort in a WA Oaks was finishing a close second with Disco Lights to the brilliant Lombo Rapida in 1999. Now he believes he has a filly who can go one better.

Artemis Belle will now have a spell of at least six weeks at Bell’s Collie property before Cortopassi starts her three-year-old preparation. “We’ll have a crack at the three-year-old fillies races, with the Oaks in mind,” Cortopassi said. “If she performs well in the Oaks we’ll have a look at taking her east for feature races for fillies.”

 UNGAINLY THE JAMAICAN PROVES HIS WORTH

Bunbury trainer Stephen Reed has no misgivings about buying Victorian-bred pacer The Jamaican late last year.

The ungainly-looking six-year-old maintained a rich vein of form when he sustained a strong burst to come from last 950m from home to win the DBC Tender Beef Pace over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This took the Pacific Fella gelding’s record since Reed outlaid $15,000 to purchase him on behalf of his mother Sue to 11 starts for five wins, four seconds, a third and an eighth for earnings of $30,305.

Late last year The Jamaican, then trained at Hazelmere by Reed’s father Mike, was put in claimers by his five Victorian owners. “They wanted to move him on, so I asked Dad if he was worth a go,” Stephen Reed said. “Dad said that probably a change of environment would suit him.”

Indeed, The Jamaican has thrived since being trained in Bunbury by Stephen Reed, who has driven him three times for placings at Bunbury and Kellerberrin.

Reed prefers to engage other drivers and to concentrate on preparing his horses and making sure their gear is spot on for racing. Morgan Woodley has driven the gelding for impressive wins at his past two starts.

The Jamaican, a 6/1 chance, started from 10m on Friday night and Woodley was content to let him relax at the rear of the field before sending him forward, three wide, 950m from home when the 7/4 favourite Laser Edge was leading from Mister Odds On on his outside.

Mister Odds On was a length behind The Jamaican at the 1300m mark when Colin Brown sent Mister Odds On forward with a fast move to get alongside the leader 100m later. Woodley decided to bide his time and he timed The Jamaican’s run to perfection, with the gelding forging to the front in the final 60m to win by just over a length from Laser Edge, with Mister Odds On a close third.

The Jamaican impressed in covering the final 800m in 57sec. and the last 400m in 28sec. He rated 2.0.9. The gelding now has a record of 96 starts for 18 wins, 29 placings and stakes of $141,654.

 GRINJARO DEVELOPING INTO GOLDEN NUGGET CONTENDER

Grinfromeartoear colt Grinjaro has returned from a spell in tremendous form and the colt is developing into a strong contender for the rich Golden Nugget Classic next season.

Owned and trained at Wanneroo by octogenarian Ken White, Grinjaro, favourite at 5/4 on, was driven with supreme confidence by Gary Hall jun.

Grinjaro started from the outside of the back line and settled down in eighth position while Majestic Cullen set the pace before recent New Zealand import Lord Federer, at his Australian debut, dashed to the front after 700m.

Hall took Grinjaro three wide with 1150m to travel and the colt moved to forth at the bell before sustaining his strong burst to get to the front 100m from the post. He sprinted the final 400m in 28.sec. and won by 5m from Lord Federer, with Cromac Johnny finishing strongly into third place.

Erris Lad, who raced three wide early and then in the breeze, was still second on the home turn before wilting late to finish eighth. He will pay to follow.

Grinjaro, who came from last to win by five lengths at his previous start, at Gloucester Park on August 5, has an impressive record of 25 starts for nine wins, five placings and stakes of $114,032.

 SON OF FERGIE BREAKS THROUGH FOR OVERDUE WIN

WA-bred four-year-old Son of Fergie ended a losing sequence of nine and broke through for an overdue win when he finished powerfully to snatch a last-stride victory over the pacemaker The Cessanator in the 2130m Easy For me With DBC Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Cessanator, a 42/1 tote outsider, began speedily from the pole position and Aiden Warwick just failed in a spirited bid to lead all the way.

Kim Prentice restrained Son of Fergie from barrier eight and the four-year-old son of Totally Western settled down in tenth position, with The Cessanator bowling along in front with 6/4 favourite Solomon Maguire working hard in the breeze.

Prentice bided his time and he waited until Chris Lewis started a three-wide move from the rear with Bombora Lombo as the field approached the home turn racing for the bell.

Bombora Lombo switched four wide at the 300m mark and Prentice then took Son of Fergie five wide 250m from home. Son of Fergie charged home out wide to get up in the final stride. The Cessanator was a head away in second place with Bombora Lombo only a half-head away in third place.

Son of Fergie, trained in Bunbury by Stephen de Campo, now has had 37 starts for ten wins and 16 placings for earnings of $126,621.

He is out of Elite Dynasty, who has also produced other winners in Miss Kensington, Iacocca, Dilingers Dynasty and Elite Angel.

 UNDERTHEINFLUENCE GIVES REED A DOUBLE

Mark Reed completed a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he drove with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker to land backmarker Undertheinfluence a thrilling last-stride winner over the pacemaker Fast Play in the 2503m DBC Family of Finest Brands Pace.

Earlier, Reed gave a masterly exhibition of aggressive frontrunning tactics to score an easy win with Sheer Royalty in the D’Orsogna Pace for mares.

Undertheinfluence, favourite at 9/4, appreciated a major drop in class after having set the pace and wilting to sixth behind star pacers Im Themightyquinn and Has The Answers in the 3309m Marathon Handicap two weeks earlier.

Undertheinfluence started from the back mark of 20m on Friday night and Reed was happy to keep him at the rear before following the three-wide run of Puhinui Rainbow approaching the bell.

Undertheinfluence finished boldly from sixth at the bell to get up and beat Fast Play (11/4) by a head, with Secret Interlude (6/1) flashing home from seventh at the bell to be a head away in third place.

Undertheinfluence was again produced in splendid condition by Henley Brook trainer Clint Kimes, who prepares the Panorama seven-year-old for his mother Diane. Undertheinfluence has been a great moneyspinner and he is a veteran of 120 starts for 21 wins and 33 placings for stakes of $128,924.

He won once in Victoria and 13 times in New South Wales before arriving in WA where he has had 46 starts for Kimes for seven wins and 11 placings.

Outstanding Parsons Den four-year-old Sheer Royalty boosted her earnings to $236,364 when she gave a bold frontrunning display to win the D’Orsogna Pace by 4m from Sickle Mond, rating 1.56.3 over the 1730m.

Sheer Royalty (5/4) started from the outside barrier and Reed dashed her past Sickle Mond and into the lead after 650m. Reed gave Sheer Royalty her head and she reeled off the final four 400m sections in 29.5sec., 29.5sec., 29.3sec. and 28.8sec.

She is a daughter of Orange Pip, a mare who had 46 starts in WA for seven wins, 11 placings and $34,456. Orange Pip’s dam Richfield Lady earned $21,486 from her five wins and 13 placings from 65 starts in the 1990s.

 HEEZA HUDSON JUST HANGS ON

Veteran pacer Heeza Hudson, favourite at evens, gave his supporters a scare when he set the pace and had to be driven desperately by Callan Suvaljko to hang on and win the DBC Timber Hill Pork Claiming Pace by a head from the fast-finishing Real Life at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

One of the happiest men on course was Byford trainer Tony Svilicich, who outlaid $15,000 to claim Real Life, a smart six-year-old who impressed with his effort in surging home, three wide, from ninth at the bell.

Also claimed for $10,000 were Denzel Washington (by Trent Cooper) and Village Hero (by Christine Plozza and Craig Saligari).

Heeza Hudson, trained at Serpentine by Amanda Suvaljko, appreciated the drop back from 2130m to 1730m and he was seen in his favoured role of pacemaker. He sprinted the final 800m in 57.6sec. and fought on doggedly to hold off the fast-finishing real Life.

This was eight-year-old Albert Albert gelding Heeza Hudson’s 20th win from 112 starts.

All Courage and Sheer Dreams maintained their splendid form to record smart victories. All Courage (7/2) brought up a hat-trick of wins for Karnup trainer-driver Grant Williams when he worked hard in the breeze before finishing determinedly to beat the pacemaker Mattnamaras Band by a head in the 2130m DBC Talk About Pace.

Sheer Dreams, trained at Kellerberrin by Tom Groves, notched her third win from her past four starts when she trailed the pacemaker Mach Ruler and finished strongly to beat that pacer by a half-length in the DBC Valley Spring Lamb Pace over 2536m.

Sheer Dreams, a 5/1 chance driven by Chris Brew, came home over the final 800m in 58.1sec.to just beat 10/1 chance Mach Ruler, who had been rated in fine style by teenager Aiden de Campo.