Narrowly beaten first up, that night was the last time it tasted defeat, winning its way through the classes with five straight victories prior to Friday.  It goes on looking better each time it goes to the races. 

Days before the WA Cup, Hall told the media he thought Tealsby Karita would win the race and win it well, even at that time knowing Flashing Red and maybe Queensland star Be Good Johnny were likely to be in the field.  A flight problem last weekend prevented Be Good Johnny from making the trip from Brisbane. 

Toying with its rivals on Friday night, young reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. said immediately after the race, “It was scary how easily the gelding did it.”   Having done its job, the brown gelding was virtually allowed to ease down close to the line.

It was truly an awesome display as it had to work hard for a time to get to the lead, going on to smash the track record for the distance set by The Falcon Strike NZ, a previous star also trained by Hall and winner of three WA Pacing Cups when driven each time by his son Gary.  

The scratching of Precious Dylan NZ on Friday meant Tealsby Karita would move in one to start from gate four. Omen punters would have noticed how barrier five has had a shocking record in this event in the past 20 or so years. 

Tealsby Karita started a clear-cut favourite over Flashing Red, a winner in every State of Australia and winner of New Zealand’s two major races this season.  The only others in the market were Lucky Punch, Lookslikelightning and Ohoka Ace NZ. 

At the start, polemarker Gee Whiz Fizz came out fast, as did Lookslikelightning from wide out, spending a lot of petrol racing into the first bend before it finally got to the front with Kotare Flame NZ (Clinton Hall, brother of Garry Jnr.) in the breeze.  The lead time was paced in 67.6 seconds. 

The favourite was not bustled early, allowed to find its feet in eighth place. But only 600m into the race the gelding was hooked out wide just when Anthony Butt was about to wind up Flashing Red.  Tealsby Karita paced along in the breeze until Hall Jnr noticed Flashing Red coming up three wide in a hurry with Sir Galvinator on its back. 

Allowing the favourite more reign, Tealsby Karita virtually said ‘ta ta’ to its rivals, moving well clear of the pack.  After the race Gary Hall Jnr spoke of this moment, stating he had not really urged his horse forward at that time.  “He raced away himself with his ears pricked. He was just unbelievable – it was like sitting behind The Falcon Strike NZ again,” he said.  

He also explained how he had found Tealsby Karita to be capable of pacing 28 second quarters early in its races without this speed affecting his finishing efforts.  “He’s got so much natural high speed.”  

For those Victorians who can remember this horse racing in the bush there, these times might be hard to believe, such is the vast improvement the gelding has made since being trained on the Perth sand used by Hall for most of his team.  

Two reinsmen in the race both later incurred the displeasure of stewards. Justin Warwick (No Blue Manna) was suspended for 21 days for allowing the nearside sulky wheel to race inside the marker pegs for a short distance out of the back straight the final time, while Kade Howson was suspended for 16 days for crossing from the three-wide line with Lucky Punch down the back in the first lap. 

What looked like a high price at the time of $30,000 for Tealsby Karita, is now looking to be a great investment, as the WA Cup has now seen a total of $229,830 jump into the bank of connections since the horse moved west. It makes trainer Gary Hall Snr to be one heck-of-a-judge of horseflesh.  

The 2006/07 Australasian Grand Circuit will wind up this Friday night at Gloucester Park with the $200,000 Australian Pacing Championship. On Tealsby Karita’s clear-cut win in the WA Cup, only bad luck is likely to prevent this gelding from writing another remarkable chapter to its rags to riches story.