HAS THE ANSWERS REWRITES THE RECORD BOOKS

Freakish pacer Has The Answers completed the most remarkable season in the annals of WA harness racing when he cruised to yet another effortless victory, winning the $20,500 Spring Stakes by almost four lengths from stablemate Mysta Magical Mach at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This gave the seemingly indestructible seven-year-old his 24th victory for the 2009-10 season.

No other pacer has won as many races in a season in WA. His 47 starts for the season for veteran Byford trainer Tony Svilicich produced 24 wins, nine seconds and five thirds for stakes of $451,422 to take his career record to 137 starts for 46 wins, 26 seconds, 16 thirds and $715,049.

Twenty-two of his wins this season were at Gloucester Park. No other horse has won that many races in a season at Gloucester Park. He also won at Pinjarra and Bunbury.

Despite his dominance, Svilicich has no intention of taking Has The Answers to contest rich feature events in the eastern States. He plans to keep the gelding in WA where he enjoys and thrives on his life of roaming at will in a paddock at Svilich’s property.

Has The Answers gained a runaway victory as the Mount Eden WA Pacer of the Year, finishing the season with 208 points. Finishing second on 82 points was the Grant Williams-trained Winter Retreat, and the Svilicich-trained Rostriever Ornum was third with 75 points, 15 points ahead of the fourth-placed pacer Im Themightyquinn.

Has The Answers was favourite at 10/1 on for Friday night’s event in which he started from the outside barrier, No. 8. He began with his usual blistering speed and Chris Lewis had him in front 100m after the mobile barrier had released the field of ten.

Lewis allowed him to bowl along at his leisure before he lifted the tempo and the gelding sped over the final two 400m sections of the last mile in 28.2sec. and 27.7sec. He rated 1.56.2 for the 2130m and was untroubled to beat Mysta Magical Mach, second favourite at 10/1, who enjoyed an ideal passage for Morgan Woodley, one-out and one-back, before sprinting home solidly to deprive Denzel Washington of second place after that pacer had trailed Has The Answers throughout. 

Remarkably, Has The Answers now has been successful at his past 14 appearances over 2130m at Gloucester Park. Twenty-five of his 46 wins have been over this journey.

 KEY QUESTION SET FOR A BRIGHT CAREER

Key Question, a full-sister to champion pacer Has The Answers, is destined for a bright career. She covered a lot of extra ground and gave a powerful performance to win the D’Orsogna Pace for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

This was her fourth win from 22 starts and she is improving so rapidly that she looks set for many more wins for breeder-owner Les Coulson and trainer Tony Svilicich.

Has The Answers and Key Question are by Legacy of Power out of the unraced WA-bred mare No Questions, a daughter of American stallion Maple Lanes Strike.

Key Question was unplaced at her three starts as a two-year-old, but has blossomed this season, earning $28,664.

A 15/4 chance on Friday night, she started from the outside of the back line and raced out wide for much of the way. Kamwood Girl, favourite at 10/9 on, dashed forward in the early stages and moved outside the pacemaker Disco Sulinka after 450m.

Kamwood Girl eventually got to the lead 400m from home, but Colin Brown sent Key Question to the front 50m later and the filly went on to score by 2m from the fast-finishing Hear No Secret, with Edna Anne a head away in third place.

The early pace was a cracker and the first 400m section of the final mile went by in a slick 28.7sec. The final 800m was covered in a moderate 60.1sec. and Key Question rated 1.57.2 over the 1730m journey.

 CELTIC CRUSADER REVEALS HIS TOUGHNESS

New South Wales-bred three-year-old Celtic Crusader revealed admirable toughness to work hard outside the pacemaker Nomore Mr Niceguy before taking the lead 375m from home and beating that pacer by a half-length in the 2130m Veolia Environmental Services Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Though he covered a lot of extra ground before winning in good style at Gloucester Park at his previous outing, Celtic Crusader was a comparative tote outsider at 18/1. This was quite remarkable, considering that he went into the race with more wins (ten) and more prizemoney ($56,341) than any of his ten rivals.

Trained at Wanneroo by Debbie Padberg, Celtic Crusader, a son of Aces And Sevens, started from barrier five and Shannon Suvaljko dashed him forward, three wide, before moving into the breeze.

Celtic Crusader forged to the front with 375m to travel and won in good style from Nomore Mr Niceguy, with Erris Lad finishing strongly from last at the bell to be a head away in third place.

New Zealand-bred geldings Lord Federer (5/4) and Cromac Johnny (13/4) dominated betting on the race, but let down their supporters.

Lord Federer, an encouraging second to Grinjaro at his Australian debut at Gloucester Park a week earlier, started from the back line and settled at the rear and Cromac Johnny, from the outside of the front line, settled down in seventh place in the one-wide line.

Grant Williams sent Cromac Johnny forward in the middle stages and the gelding was third, three wide, at the bell where he was being followed by Lord Federer. However, neither pacer threatened danger in the final circuit, with Cromac Johnny finishing fifth and Lord Federer in seventh place.

Celtic Crusader now has had 43 starts for 11 wins and 13 placings for earnings of $67,061.

 BELL STRIKES EARLY WITH de CAMPO TWO-YEAR-OLD

Young trainer Ryan Bell made a dream start to his job of preparing the team of pacers formerly trained at Capel by Andrew de Campo when Trojan Bromac scored a fighting victory in The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

And Bell brought up a training double when Greyhawk was successful in the final event, the Veolia Environmental Waste Solutions Young Drivers Pace.

Trojan Bromac, second favourite at 9/4, worked hard without cover in the first lap and then had an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before unwinding a strong finish to beat the 2/1 favourite Lord Chelsea and the unlucky Shipwreck.

Smart frontrunner The Terrorizer set the pace and Matt White was not worried when he had Trojan Bromac in the breeze in the first lap before Justin Prentice made a fast move from the rear after a lap to send Lord Chelsea into the position outside the leader.

Lord Chelsea got to the front 250m from home, but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Trojan Bromac, who scored by a neck. This gave Trojan Bromac, a son of McArdle, his third win from five starts.

Shipwreck was most unlucky. He was the lone runner off the back line and after Morgan Woodley had him one off the pegs in the early stages he was forced back on to the pegs in the first lap when Bad Boy (Greg Kersley) shifted inwards.

This was followed by a jostling duel between Woodley and Kersley. Shipwreck then was forced to remain on the pegs until Woodley eventually was able to ease him out approaching the home turn. Shipwreck ran home powerfully, out wide, to finish a length from the winner.

Kersley had his driver’s licence suspended for 19 days for allowing Bad Boy to shift inwards and force Shipwreck to the pegs and Woodley was fined $200 for jostling with Kersley in a bid to return to the one-wide line. Woodley was fined a further $100 for easing Shipwreck off the pegs before the mobile barrier released the field.

The 24-year-old Bell has just moved to Capel to take over de Campo’s team of pacers after de Campo was disqualified for four months. Bell enjoyed another success for the de Campo stable when White drove 10/1 chance Clancy Maguire to victory over Lees Approval in a 2500m stand at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Saturday night.

Clancy Maguire, having his first start in Australia, finished boldly from sixth at the bell to win by a neck. He sprinted the final 800m in 56.7sec.

 GREYHAWK GIVES AIDEN de CAMPO FIRST CITY SUCCESS

Eighteen-year-old Aiden de Campo landed his first city-class winner when he drove 12/1 chance Greyhawk to a convincing victory in the Veolia Environmental Waste Solutions Young Drivers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Greyhawk was having his first start since moving from Ryan Bell’s Byford stable to the Capel establishment of Andrew de Campo, who is currently under disqualification. Bell has taken over the preparation of a big team of pacers formerly prepared by de Campo.

Aiden de Campo, a son of Andrew de Campo, was rewarded with his patience with Greyhawk’s victory. Greyhawk started from barrier five and de Campo dashed the Victorian-bred five-year-old forward in a bid to take the early lead.

However, when Whitbys Beach resisted the early challenge from Greyhawk, de Campo was content to allow Greyhawk to drop back in the one-wide line as challenges came from the rear.

Irish O’Neill (Morgan Woodley) surged forward early to move into the breeze outside the pacemaker Whitbys Beach 900m after the start. The run of Irish O’Neill was followed by the 5/2 on favourite Dominating Diomedes (Michael George) and Dominating Diomedes got to the breeze with 1000m to travel.

Dominating Diomedes got to the front 300m from home, but he was swamped in the closing stages by Greyhawk and Aussie Reactor (Courtney Burch). Greyhawk hit the front 20m from the post and won by a length from Aussie Reactor, with Dominating Diomedes a nose away in third place.

Irish O’Neill battled on gamely to be fourth and Woodley won the Kim Prentice Medal as the Young Driver of the Year with a total of 30 points, beating Justin Prentice (18), George (16) and Burch (13). Greyhawk now has earned $51,363 from his eight wins and 13 placings from 57 starts.

 PABLITO COMPLETES BROWN’S DRIVING TREBLE

Banjup horseman Colin Brown ended the 2009-10 metropolitan season in a blaze of glory with a driving treble at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Smart Courage Under Fire five-year-old Pablito completed the treble when he proved too strong for his rivals in the 2130m Red Pepper Catering Claiming Pace after working hard outside the pacemaker Spirit of Shard all the way.

Brown was also successful with Key Question and Solomon Maguire and he ended the metropolitan season in third place on the city drivers’ premiership with 86 winners. Gary Hall jun. was the winner with 139 winners and Chris Lewis (131) finished second. Morgan Woodley (64) was fourth and Shannon Suvaljko (57) finished in fifth place.

Solomon Maguire and Pablito are trained at Forrestdale by Greg Bond, who finished in third place in the metropolitan trainers’ premiership with 45 winners. Gary Hall sen. won the award with 108 winners, well clear of Ross Olivieri (75). The top three trainers were followed by Amanda Suvaljko (38), Grant Williams (37) and Tony Svilicich (29).

Pablito, a winner at two of his five New Zealand starts, took his WA record to 35 starts for 14 wins and 14 placings for overall earnings of $132,005.

Pablito, a 3/1 chance, started out wide from the No. 8 barrier and Brown had no hesitation in sending the gelding forward from the outset to race outside the pacemaking Spirit of Shard.

Pablito outstayed Spirit of Shard and got to the front 90m from the post before beating that pacer by a half-length at a 1.56.5 rate over the 2130m. The last 800m was covered in 57.8sec.

Brown adopted similar tactics with Solomon Maguire, the even-money favourite in the 2130m Pathway Series Pace. Polemarker Open Class (11/1) set the pace before Solomon Maguire forged his way to the front 50m from the post and held on to win by a head from Alby Albert, who was last at the 1000m mark and then sustained a powerful finishing burst.

 SECRET INTERLUDE IS A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

Consistent mare Secret Interlude maintained her wonderful form when she finished strongly to get up in a four-way photo finish to beat Sickle Mond, Fast Play and Tara Village in the 2096m Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Starting from 10m and second favourite at 5/2, Secret Interlude began speedily and Gary Hall jun. quickly had the mare in the breeze with Tara Village setting the pace.

Fast Play, favourite at 5/4, settled down one-out and one-back before Chris Lewis vacated that position 550m after the start when 20m backmarker Badboy Nitro was charging forward. This then gave Secret Interlude an ideal trail in the moving line behind Fast Play.

Hall took Secret Interlude four wide 250m from home and the mare finished boldly to win narrowly from, Sickle Mond, who finished fast along the pegs. Fast Play Was a nose away in third place, just ahead of Tara Village.

Secret Interlude, trained at Herne Hill by breeder and part-owner Kevin Keys, has been a wonderful moneyspinner for her connections, earning $151,039 from her 12 wins and 26 placings from 75 starts.

Bred in WA, she is by American stallion Panorama and is the first foal out of Victorian-bred mare Forrest Interlude, who had 45 starts in WA for six wins, nine placings and $22,026.

Glacier Star notched his ninth win from 62 starts when Callan Suvaljko drove astutely to get him home by 2m from the pacemaker Jordangarry in the Paige Raye Murrell Handicap over 2503m.

Polemarker and even-money favourite Lukcon Lad galloped at the start, allowing Assert to dash to an early lead from Glacier Star. Jordangarry dashed to the front after 300m and Suvaljko took Glacier Star forward with a three-wide move after 700m to move into the breeze.

Glacier Star obtained a perfect trail, one-out and one-back, 1500m from home when Gary Hall jun. dashed Lukcon Lad forward to race outside the pacemaker. Suvaljko bided his time until he switched Glacier Star three wide 300m from the finish. Glacier Star, a 12/1 chance, ran home solidly to hit the front in the closing stages and win by 2m from Jordangarry, with Lukcon Lad a wilting third.   

Glacier Star, a Christian Cullen six-year-old trained by Jarrad Humphries, now has won six times from 29 WA starts after winning three times in New Zealand.

Colin Brown made the wrong choice when he chose to drive Eastwood Fire in preference to Artorius in the Force Equipment and Hire Pace. Chris Lewis made the most of his drive behind Artorius, who thundered home from seventh at the bell to snatch a last-stride victory over Eastwood Fire.

Artorius, a 15/4 chance, is trained by Skye Bond, while Eastwood Fire, a 7/2 chance at his first appearance since February, is trained by Skye’s husband Greg.

Brown restrained Eastwood Fire from barrier nine  and the six-year-old was last at the 1100m mark before starting a three-wide move. Eastwood Fire sustained a strong burst to get to the front on the home turn, but he just failed to hold off the flying Artorius.

Lord Guy, favourite at 7/4, surged to the front after 700m and set the pace. But he was inclined to pull in front and wilted in the final stages to finish ninth.