CHARIOTS OF FIRE BECKON BRILLIANT IMA ROCKET STAR

Brilliant four-year-old Ima Rocket Star enhanced his prospects of winning the $200,000 Chariots of Fire next month when he gave a powerful staying performance to beat star pacer Has The Answers in the 2536m Find Thirty Every Day Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Driven with great confidence by Colin Brown, Ima Rocket Star did all the work in the race before proving the master of Has The Answers, who began with his customary brilliance and set the pace.

The lightly-race New Zealand-bred Ima Rocket Star scorched over the final 800m in 55.5sec. and rated 1.56.7 to boost his earnings to $215,199 from his 14 wins and six placings from only 27 starts.

His victory completed a tremendous interstate double for part-owner and trainer Greg Bond, who was in Queensland for Millwood Meg’s fighting nose victory in the $30,000 Gold Coast Oaks.

Ima Rocket Star, who won at six of his 12 New Zealand starts, is fast and tough and looks an ideal candidate for the prestigious group 1 Chariots of Fire to be run  over 1609m at Menangle on July 30.

The first five to finish in two $20,000 preludes at Menangle on the two previous Friday nights will qualify for the big race.

Ima Rocket Star is likely to complete his preparation for the preludes by contesting the $35,000 Winter Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park next Friday week.

Many punters predicted that Friday night’s event at Gloucester Park would develop into a match between Has The Answers and Precious Dylan, with Ima Rocket Star and Alzona battling out third place.

Precious Dylan was sent out the tote favourite at $2.40, with Has The Answers at $2.50, Ima Rocket Star at $3.90 and Alzona at $22.

Has The Answers, from barrier four, burst straight to the lead, with Ima Rocket Star working hard, three wide, for the first 450m before moving outside the pacemaker. Precious Dylan was restrained to last in the field of seven.

Brown was content to rate Ima Rocket Star outside Has The Answers before applying strong pressure in the final circuit. Ima Rocket Star took the lead 100m from the post and scored by 1m from Has The Answers, with Precious Dylan running home gamely from last the 350m mark to be third, just in front of Alzona.

 IM THEMIGHTYQUINN A MIRACLE MILE HOPE

Im Themightyquinn strengthened his claims as the best pacer in WA with a superb first-up victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night and trainer Gary Hall sen. has high hopes that he will join the impressive list of WA winners of the prestigious Miracle Mile.

The New Zealand-bred five-year-old was not extended in scoring a runaway victory in the 2503m Channel Nine Pace at his first appearance after his fast-finishing third to Bondy in the Hunter Cup at Moonee Valley in February.

A versatile little pacer with tremendous natural speed, Im Themightyquinn appeals as a top contender for the Miracle Mile at Menangle in November and he certainly has the qualities to succeed other WA pacers who have won the Miracle Mile.

WA-trained pacers to have won the rich sprint are Mount Eden (1971), Royal Force (1977), Pure Steel (1978), Preux Chevalier (1985), Village Kid (1986, 1987) and Norms Daughter (1996).

Im Themightyquinn, favourite at 3/1 on, began speedily off the 30m back mark and Gary Hall jun. dashed him to the front after only 400m. From then it was a procession, with Im Themightyquinn giving his rivals no hope by sprinting the final 800m in 56.2sec.

Outsider Waikawa Bay, who led early and then trailed the pacemaker, fought on to finish second, 13m behind Im Themightyquinn. Hy Royale ran on from seventh on the pegs at the bell to be third.

Second favourite Report For Duty worked hard in the breeze before wilting to finish last. He bled from both nostrils and was barred for three months.

Im Themightyquinn, who won a prelude and then finished a head second to Mafioso in the final of the Chariots of Fire at Harold Park last July, was bought for $180,000 in New Zealand and his record now stands at 51 starts for 17 wins and 18 placings for earnings of $689,714.  

 PURNELL CELEBRATES IN STYLE  WITH THOMAS WITH STEAM

Balingup trainer Terry Purnell celebrated his 63rd birthday on Friday night in style when promising colt Thomas With Steam gave a powerful frontrunning performance to win the Retravision Pace at Gloucester Park.

The three-year-old’s win over 10/9 on favourite Lombo Navigator completed a driving treble for Colin Brown, who had been successful earlier in the night with Gransagenic and Ima Rocket Star.

Thomas With Steam (7/4) started from barrier six and Brown drove him hard to get to the front after 100m. Lombo Navigator, having his first outing for just over two months, worked hard in the breeze and fought on tenaciously to fail by just one metre.

Thomas With Steam, owned by Purnell and his wife Ann, maintained a solid pace throughout and rated 1.58.9 over 2130m. It was his fourth win from 13 starts and took his earnings to $43,408.

Gransagenic, trained at Byford by Owen Gilbride, notched his 13th victory from 47 starts and took his prizemoney to $96,702 when he held on to beat the fast-finishing Omegarama in the 2536m Brear and Doonan Pace.

Brown dashed the five-year-old forward, three wide, from barrier five and he took up the running after 500m. Blissful Snag came from eighth to second place with 400m to travel before wilting to finish third. Omegarama, who had followed the three-wide run of Blissful Snag, fought on grandly.

A week earlier, Gransagenic had worked hard in the breeze before fading to sixth behind Rostriever Ornum and Gilbride then decided to remove the block blinkers and return to the pull down blinkers.

“We tried the block blinkers last week and they didn’t appear to work,” Brown explained. “So Owen decided to go back to the pull downs.”

 ANOTHER ONE FOR ME MAKES THE MOST OF DROP IN GRADE

Mark Reed celebrated his first drive behind smart little mare Another One For Me by guiding her to a sparkling victory in the Schweppes Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Trained at Henley Brook by Chelsey Harding, Another One For Me was a heavily-backed 9/4 favourite and Reed had her in a dominant position throughout, behind the freewheeling pacemaker Denzel Washington.
   
Reed got Another One For Me off the pegs approaching the home turn and the Armbro Operative six-year-old sprinted fast to burst to the front 90m from the post and score by almost two lengths from Inthe Barrack, rating 2.0.5.

This ended a losing sequence of ten and took the mare’s record to ten wins and 23 placings from 73 starts for earnings of $99,920.

Another One For Me, who had finished second to Has The Answers two starts earlier, became the latest pacer to benefit from the new regulations which allow horses classified M2 or better to drop down a class after a losing run of ten.

So, smart punters were quick to realise that Another One For Me had a great chance down in grade to a M1-class event and from the No. 1 barrier.  

Indeed, it was a wonderful let-up and a bonus for a mare who had earned $4635 in the previous fortnight and a total of $58,241 from her 33 WA starts for six wins and 12      placings. Her WA earnings now stand at $69,296.

 PANCHO MAGUIRE LOOKS SET FOR MANY MORE WINS

New Zealand-bred five-year-old Pancho Maguire gave further proof that he is a pacer on the way up with an effortless all-the-way victory in the Clipsal Young Drivers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

His three-length win over Surfer Dude completed a hat-trick for Hazelmere trainer Michael Brennan, who owns the gelding in partnership with Michael Harding, Greg Black and Colin Danks, of Esperance.

Pancho Maguire, favourite at 2/1 on, made the 2130m event a one-act affair after Justin Prentice sent the gelding to the front after 300m. Pancho Maguire dashed over the final 800m in 57.9sec. and coasted to an easy win. Surfer Dude ran on from three back on the pegs to cut Miami Bravo (who had trailed the pacemaker all the way) out of second place.

Mighty Shard, who had raced in ninth position, three back on the pegs, finished fourth.

Pancho Maguire has had only 28 starts for eight wins and three placings. He is a half-brother to Breaking Waves, a gelding who earned $88,008 from his 11 wins and 25 placings from 89 starts. Breaking Waves won seven times in New South Wales before winning three races at Gloucester Park in 2005.

Pancho Maguire and Breaking Waves are out of the American mare Steady Niatrosss, who had 29 starts for six wins, three placings and $30,318.

After Friday night’s victory behind Pancho Maguire, Prentice travelled 180km to Bunbury to drive in the final two events at Donaldson Park. He drove the even-money favourite Boogiewithmebaby, who finished strongly from the rear to finish fourth behind Red Success, and Yankee Vagabond, who finished ninth behind Trojan Bromac.

 DREAMS DAUGHTER CHARGES HOME FROM LAST

Promising mare Dreams Daughter continues to excite harness racing fans with her devastating finishing bursts.

She charged home from last in the back straight in the final circuit and went five wide 470m from home before surging to the front 120m from the post and winning the Diageo Pace by almost a length from Sheer Dreams, who finished boldly from eighth on the home turn.

 Dreams Daughter’s victory at 6/4 on was almost a carbon copy of her effort a week earlier when she thundered home from last at the 500m mark to win by four lengths from Its Karma.

Tony Treasure has driven beautifully-judged races each week. He handles the four-year-old Crouch mare for his father Alex, who owns her and trains her at his Champion Lakes property.

Go Some More set the pace in Friday night’s race before fading to finish a disappointing eighth. Delight And Decree, who raced in the breeze, battled on into fourth place.

Victorian-bred ten-year-old Earl of Locksley ended a losing sequence of 13 when Chris Lewis drove him to a narrow victory over the fast-finishing Rostriever Ornum in the Ross North Homes Pace.

Earl of Locksley, trained at Serpentine by Amanda Suvaljko, was a 14/1 chance who started from the back line. Lewis quickly had him in a perfect position, one-out and one-back, and he sprinted home strongly to get past Aussie Attack (3/1) in the final 50m before Rostriever Ornum, eighth at the bell, rattled home.

Earl of Locksley has now had 176 starts for 28 wins (eight in Victoria and 20 in WA) and 47 placings for stakes of $278,262.

He is by American stallion Exotic Earl and is the first foal out of Classic Garry mare Robbers Bride, a winner of one race from 20 starts. Earl of Locksley is the only winner from Robbers Bride’s seven foals. The only other to have raced is Raimundas Geetee, who was unplaced in all his 13 starts on Victorian country tracks. 

 CHRISTOPHER THREE CAUSES AN UPSET

Christopher Three, a 14/1 chance, caused an upset when he sustained a powerful finish, out wide on the track, from tenth at the bell to beat Smooth Shift (4/1) by a nose in the Westralian Auto Finance Pace.

Nathan Turvey made the most of the chance to drive Christopher Three for Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams, with the gelding’s usual reinsman Grant Williams, on the sidelines, serving a term of suspension.

The 5/4 favourite McGintysgoat let down his supporters at his WA debut by galloping badly at the standing start and dropping back to 11th.

Chris Lewis sent McGintysgoat forward, four wide, at the bell and the five-year-old sustained a strong burst to move into fourth place at the 600m mark before he dropped back to finish seventh.

Conte Centovalli, backmarker off 20m and second favourite at 9/4, made a fast three-wide move in the first lap, but was unable to wrest the breeze position from Garvie Bay. He wilted to finish eighth.

Smooth Shift was unlucky. He lost about five lengths at the start when checked by the galloping McGintysgoat. He was last at the bell and was forced five and six wide in the final lap before running home powerfully to fail narrowly.

Christopher Three, by Mach Three, has won ten races in WA and Friday night’s victory boosted his earnings to $79,011.

Touch Me Toes, the 7/4 favourite in Friday night’s race, was claimed for $9750 by Kody Charles, who was successful in a ballot between four claimants. The Our Sir Vancelot eight-year-old plugged on from tenth at the bell to finish seventh.

 RUBY DAZZLER PASSES THE $350,000 MARK

Burly mare Ruby Dazzler celebrated her 50th start in a race and boosted her earnings to $350,767 when visiting New Zealand junior reinsman Chris Butt drove her to an all-the-way win in The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Trained at Hazelmere by Gary Hall sen., Ruby Dazzler was produced in fine fettle and was a warm 7/4 favourite.

However, her supporters had to survive a late scare when Argent Treasure (7/2) charged home to join Ruby Dazzler on the line. The photo finish showed that Ruby Dazzler had prevailed by a nose.

Argent Treasure was unlucky. He failed to maintain his position in the mobile score-up and was left by more than five lengths at the start. The grey settled 40m off the lead and was still a distant last after 500m. He moved to seventh, three wide, at the bell and went four wide with 450m to travel before producing strong late burst.

Last-start winner Tuapeka Tiz (4/1) was a close third, sustaining a solid three-wide burst from fifth at the bell.

Spunky Monkey, who raced without cover, faded to eighth, while Mach Ruler maintained his sound form, running home gamely into fourth place. He will pay to follow.

 FOUR WINNERS TO de CAMPO AND WHITE AT BUNBURY

Capel trainer Andrew de Campo and young New Zealand reinsman Matt White had an evening to remember at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Friday night.

They combined to win four events --- with Miss Poker Face, Jade Bromac, Belhelvie and Trojan Bromac. They went within an ace of a fifth winner when Miss Kerr fought on grandly to be second to Centrefold Angel, beaten a head in 1609m State Sires Series event for three-year-old fillies.