Bushwacked leaves Quadrio in awe
“For a young horse to cop that pressure and keep going, I’m over the moon,” declared a delighted breeder-owner-trainer Shane Quadrio after Bushwacked set the pace and fought on grandly to win the $50,000 group 2 Champagne Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bushwacked, third favourite at $6.40 from the No. 1 barrier, survived considerable pressure from $7.50 chance Battlescard, who overraced in the breeze, and went on to defy a powerful late challenge from $4.80 second fancy Whataretheodds to defeat that gelding by a head at a 1.57.2 rate over 2130m.
Bushwacked, driven with great confidence by Kyle Harper, emerged as a leading contender for the upcoming rich classics for two-year-olds, including the $100,000 Pearl Classic, the $100,000 Westbred Classic and the $125,000 Golden Slipper.
“He will be set for those events, but I won’t be overracing him because he’s not mentally ready or physically mature enough to race week-in and week-out,” said Quadrio.
“His body needs to mature a bit and we will assess his options as we go along. I’m happy with the way he is going at the moment. He will mature into a better horse when he gets older.
“It was a sensational run tonight after his work during the week was sensational. I know that at his previous start (when he led and won over 1730m) he got away with easy sectionals, and my son Dylan and I gave him a hard workout the day after that event because he did nothing in that win.
“We were very confident going into tonight’s race after the way Bushwacked worked during the week when Dylan drove Bushwacked and I sat behind him with an older horse, and I couldn’t get anywhere near Bushwacked.”
The Ryan Bell-trained Whataretheodds gave a splendid performance at his first appearance for two months. He was seventh in the one-wide line at the bell before sustaining a spirited three-wide burst to fail by just a head. Tomlous Jambo, trained and driven by Justin Prentice, enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, before finishing solidly to be a close third.
Rock On Top, favourite at $3.20 from out wide at barrier No. 7, raced at the rear and did not threaten danger, finishing in sixth position.
Meanwhile, Quadrio’s brilliant three-year-old filly Black Jack Baby is enjoying a brief spell after her shock failure when leading before fading to tenth behind Benesari Lane in the WA Oaks on April 9.
“The day after the Oaks I sent Black Jack Baby to Trevor Lindsay’s spelling paddock, and he telephoned me the next day to tell me that she was as lame as a cat,” Quadrio said. “She had a bad abscess in the rear offside hoof, and it was no wonder she couldn’t run on at the end of the Oaks because she was in such pain. I’m not using that as an excuse but would have been a factor in her performance.”
Jumpingjackmac’s last-to-first victory
Brilliant three-year-old Jumpingjackmac warmed up for his clash with outstanding colt Lavra Joe in next Friday night’s $200,000 Sky Channel WA Derby in fine style with a most impressive last-to-first victory in the 2130m Worldwide Printing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His win over Otis and Seeryanfly left trainer Gary Hall snr and reinsman Gary Hall jnr looking forward keenly to the prestigious group 1 feature.
Hall jnr did not bustle Jumpingjackmac at the start from the outside barrier (No. 9), but he admitted that he was somewhat concerned when he was in last position in the middle stages in the field of eleven.
“I was a bit worried when he was that far back and I thought he was going to have to be good to win,” said Hall jnr. “I know that a lot of people thought he would just win --- but it is hard when you are that far back, and he was having just his eighth start.”
Hall sent Jumpingjackmac forward, three wide, with 1200m to travel and the gelding moved to the breeze outside the pacemaker Squinta with 600m to travel before forging to the front 300m later and coasting to victory by 2m from the strong-finishing Otis, with Seeryanfly running home solidly to be an excellent third. Jumpingjackmac rated 1.55.9 after the three final quarters were run in 28.6sec., 28sec. and 29.1sec.
“He raced to the breeze pretty comfortably and I sat up on him in the home straight,” said Hall. “He is a horse you really have to drive out if you want him to completely run through the line. I think he had a little gear left on the line, which was good. I don’t think that we could be more ready for next week’s meeting with Lavra Joe.
“Id like Jumpingjackmac to have had 15 more runs under his belt. But he’s ready, and all we need is a (good) draw. I don’t think we can beat Lavra Joe if he draws inside of us, and I’d say that we would be hard to beat if we drew inside of him.”
Hall snr was in a buoyant mood after Jumpingjackmac’s victory, saying: “The extra distance (2536m) of the Derby won’t worry him. He did just what he had to tonight and he will be sharper next Friday night because we didn’t hopple him this week.
“The draw is the most important thing. If Lavra Joe draws to lead, we can’t beat him. But if we draw to lead, Lavra Joe can’t beat us. Probably it would be better if neither horse draws to lead --- and then it will become a battle of tactics. However, I wouldn’t swap my driver or my horse with anything.”
Lavra Joe continued his winning ways with an extremely comfortable victory in the $30,000 Country Derby at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on Saturday night.
Chris Lewis sent Lavra Joe straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier and the powerful colt paced faultlessly in front before coasting to a win by two and a half lengths over Strike Team, who fought on doggedly after trailing the leader all the way. Lavra Joe sprinted over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 26.9sec. and rated 1.56.8.
Swimming enlivens Lightning Jolt
Eight-year-old Lightning Jolt, whose career was in considerable jeopardy six years ago, is enjoying a major change to his training program and he maintained his purple patch of form with a fighting victory in the 2130m TABtouch Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Byford trainer John Oldroyd explained the WA-bred gelding’s excellent form of six starts for two wins, two seconds and two thirds in his current preparation by saying he is thriving on a diet of swimming.
“I’ve changed his work around a lot this time in,” said Oldroyd. “He’s an eight-year-old and I know it sounds crazy that it has taken me such a long time to work things out. I have started swimming him in the pool at the Byford track and have backed his fast work right off.
“He was a very good horse as a baby and was one of the State’s best two-year-olds. But he has had chronic leg problems and didn’t race for 16 months at one stage. He did a tendon and was given only a 30 per cent chance to stand up and race again.
So, I sent him to Debbie Lewis for ten months, and she did a terrific job with him, putting him on the walker and treating his leg every day. And at his first run after 16 months, he was just beaten by Walkinshaw (in October 2017).
“He is a funny sort of horse and the not the nicest to jog in the cart. He has never been easy to get on with, but for the past six months he’s been a lot easier to get on with at home, a lot more placid. Before, he would kick and bite you.”
Lightning Jolt has done a wonderful job to have had 101 starts for 16 wins, 32 placings and $183,335 in prizemoney. By Canadian sire Village Jolt, Lightning Jolt is one of only two foals out of Barnett Hanover mare Sandys Success.
The first foal, Mynameskenny, a full-brother to Lightning Jolt, was an excellent performer for Oldroyd, earning $199,195 from 21 wins and six placings from 43 starts. Mynameskenny’s most important win was in the Diggers Cup at Bunbury’s Donaldson Park on April 23, 2016. It was indeed a memorable moment on Friday night with Lightning Jolt winning on April 23, 2021.
Lightning Jolt was a $3.80 chance from barrier five in Friday night’s event in which Ryan Warwick gave him a perfect trip in the one-out and one-back position before the oldtimer got to the front about 470m from home and fought on determinedly to win by a half-length from another veteran pacer Major Stare, who finished strongly from last at the bell.
Heavens Showgirl storms home
Victorian-bred pacer Heavens Showgirl gave further proof that she will develop into one of Western Australia’s best mares when she charged home from seventh with 550m to travel to burst to the front 330m later on her way to an impressive victory over Blissfullabbey in the 2130m Channel 7 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the five-year-old’s fourth win from five WA starts and improved her record to 28 starts for ten wins, ten placings and stakes of $73,547.
Trained by Nathan Turvey, Heavens Showgirl was the second favourite at $3.30. Emily Suvaljko urged her forward from the No. 5 barrier and she raced without cover early before gaining the ideal sit, one-out and one-back, after $91 outsider Talkerup dashed forward to race in the breeze outside the pacemaker and $2.75 favourite Suing You.
Heavens Showgirl was hampered and lost about a length in the back straight when Talkerup began to weaken and drop back. However, Suvaljko did not panic and, after the third quarter of the final mile whizzed by in 27.8sec., Heavens Showgirl sprinted home smartly with a final 400m in 28.4sec. and she rated 1.55.3.
My Carbon Copy does it easily
Talented New Zealand-bred five-year-old My Carbon Copy enjoyed a drop in class when he ended a losing sequence of ten with a comfortable all-the-way victory in the 2130m Intersport Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The $1.20 favourite from the No. 2 barrier dawdled through the lead time in 39.5sec. and the opening quarters of the final mile in 32.1sec. and 29.8sec. before final 400m sections of 29.4sec. and 28.1sec.
The American Ideal gelding, trained by Gary Hall snr and driven by Gary Hall jnr, defeated Mister Ardee ($8) by just under a length to improve his record to 38 starts for 11 wins and 15 placings for earnings of $129,909.
The win completed a treble for the father-and-son combination which had been successful earlier in the night with Jumpingjackmac and Whozideawasthis.
My Carbon Copy is a full-brother to former star pacer My Hard Copy, who raced 89 times for 27 wins, 23 placings and stakes of $1,271,592. His victories included the WA Pacing Cup in 2015 and 2016 and the 2018 Fremantle Cup in which he defeated Lazarus and Chicago Bull.
Brown seizes the initiative
When the $1.50 favourite Classic Choice galloped at the start from the No. 2 barrier in the Garrard’s Horse And Hound Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night talented driver Maddison Brown seized the initiative by urging $14.40 chance Back In Twenty to the front from barrier three.
Back In Twenty, trained by Justin Prentice, relished the pacemaking role and romped top a three-length victory over Our Surrogate ($9.50), with Whoswhointhezoo ($14) another two lengths away in third place.
“He is a hard horse to get over when he’s in front,” said Prentice. “He can run good sectionals and make it hard for anything in the field. His last three starts have been really good, and his fourth behind Hampton Banner at his previous start was close to his career best, the way he sprinted home which hasn’t always been his caper.”
Back In Twenty, bred and owned by Bob Fowler’s Allwood Stud Farm, has now earned $90,190 from ten wins and 13 placings from 55 starts. By Sportswriter, Back In Twenty is out of the Northern Luck mare Aristocratic Glow, who had 44 starts for nine wins, 13 placings and $74,756.
Aristocratic Star is a half-sister to former star mare Amongst Royalty, who amassed $570,820 from her 23 wins and 27 placings from 86 starts. He is also closely related to former star pacer Mon Poppy Day, who had 50 starts for 20 wins, 16 placings and $318,558.
Lawrence gets up in the final stride
Dependable New Zealand-bred six-year-old Lawrence continued his outstanding form in Western Australia for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond when he was favourite at $2.20 and had to be driven desperately by Ryan Warwick to get up and snatch a last-stride victory by a half-head from Medieval Man in the 2096m Choices Flooring Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A winner at five of his 28 New Zealand starts, Lawrence, a son of Shadow Play, has now raced nine times in WA for six wins and three seconds.
He started from the 10m line and Warwick had him travelling in sixth position in the one-wide line before bringing him home with a determined three-wide burst to score narrowly.
Medieval Man, trained by Michael Young and driven by Emily Suvaljko, was gallant in defeat. With $41 outsider Sarge setting the pace, Medieval Man raced without cover before he took the lead 450m from home. Then, 230m later Gary Hall jnr sent Nota Bene Denario to the front before Medieval Man fought back grimly to regain the lead in the home straight.
Jack Farthing is learning WA style
Former New South Wales prolific winner Jack Farthing justified hot favouritism at $1.50 with an effortless victory in the 2130m Mondo Doro Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His win for Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, Capel reinsman Aiden de Campo and owners Kevin Jeavons and his son Kyle came at his second appearance after a four-month absence and at his seventh start in Western Australia.
Jack Farthing had the luxury of a slow lead time (38.3sec.) and opening quarter (30.8sec.) before giving his rivals little chance with final 400m sections of 28.6sec., 27.5sec. and 28.2sec.
He scored by three lengths from $34 chance Extradite, who began speedily from the No. 7 barrier and hit the front from polemarker Jack Farthing after 120m before Corey Peterson was happy to relinquish the lead to Jack Farthing 200m later and give Extradite the perfect sit behind the favourite.
Six-year-old Culpeka, a winner at his previous six starts and resuming racing after an absence of just under 15 months, was second fancy at $3.80 from the outside barrier in the field of eight. He raced at the rear before Gary Hall jnr sent him forward, three wide, 650m rom home. But his run was short-lived and he finished a well-beaten seventh.
Jack Farthing improved considerably on his first-up eighth behind Galactic Star two weeks earlier when Prentice said that interference in the back straight in the final lap when Mighty Conqueror broke into a gallop cost him dearly.
“Aiden said that Jack Farthing was travelling well in the one-out, two-back position, and when he was checked he lost all his momentum and didn’t chase again,” Prentice explained.
“Maybe he lost his balance and was unable to regain his rhythm. His trial win at Pinjarra before that run was super, and his work since that hiccup has been very good. There is a mile race for him in a fortnight and another (Members Sprint) the following week.
“We are trying to teach him our style of racing, and he seems to have settled a lot better after a full preparation. Hopefully, he will learn and settle into our style of training and the different style of racing here.”
Whozideawasthis equals Kiwi Dillon’s record
Veteran pacer Whozideawasthis became only the second pacer in the 60-year history of the Memorial Day Stakes to win the feature event twice when he revealed sparkling gate speed from the outside barrier in the field of six to set a brisk pace and score a stylish victory in the $25,000 feature event over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The only other dual winner of the Memorial Day Stakes was Kiwi Dillon, who was successful in 1962 and 1963 for trainer Bill Johnson and his reinsman son Max.
Whozideawasthis, a New Zealand-bred ten-year-old, won this event in 2018 and finished second to The Bucket List in 2019. He charged home from last to win by a half-head from Lord Rosco over 2130m last Friday week, but was neglected by punters on Friday night and was a $25.40 tote outsider.
Vultan Tin was generally expected to set the pace and win from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night and was a hot favourite at $1.07. However, Vultan Tin was unable to hold out the flying Whozideawasthis, who sped to the front after 50m.
Trainer Gary Hall snr said that Whozideawasthis could not have won if he had been restrained at the start, and he praised the initiative shown by his son, Gary.
“I was very pleased to get Whozideawasthis from Albert Pizzuto a few years ago and he has done a huge job here,” said Hall snr. Whozideawasthis now has earned $307,029 from 27 wins and 18 placings from 108 starts.
Vultan Tin settled down trailing Whozideawasthis before Emily Suvaljko eased him off the pegs and into the breeze with two laps to travel when Chris Voak was urging Im Full Of Excuses forward.
Im Full Of Excuses then gained a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position, but he wilted to finish sixth. Vultan Tin battled on manfully into third place, just over a length behind the winner.
Hampton Banner overcomes three operations
Inexperienced four-year-old Hampton Banner has overcome a fractured hind leg and three operations to develop into one of the State’s most promising young pacers.
The Bettors Delight gelding, trained by Debra Lewis, has returned to racing after an eleven-month absence in fine style, and he completed a winning hat-trick when Chris Lewis drove him to an impressive victory in the 2130m Vili’s Family Bakery Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hampton Banner raced ten times in New Zealand for three wins and a second placing before he was purchased by a syndicate of West Australian owners, including Mark Lewis, the son of Chris and Debra Lewis.
The strongly-built gelding made his WA debut in March 2020 when second to Harley Zest before finishing sixth behind Patronus Star in the WA Derby the following month. It was then discovered that he had a fractured hind leg.
“When we bought him in New Zealand we were told that he had soft bones,” said Mark Lewis. “And after two runs here we could see that he wasn’t right.
“An MRI examination revealed that he had a stress fracture in his nearside fetlock, and he underwent surgery when a screw was inserted. He had another operation to remove the screw, and a third surgery when suffering an infection in the joint.”
Hampton Banner, the fourth foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Surf And Sand (11 starts for one win, one placings and $7160), is still relatively inexperienced with a record of 16 starts for six wins, two placings and stakes of $61,853.
His owners are optimistic about his prospects of developing into a top-flight pacer and are hoping he will maintain his rate of improvement and be a candidate for the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup next summer.
“He will probably go for a break soon, and hopefully he’ll be good enough to come back for the summer racing,” said Mark Lewis.
On Friday night, Hampton Banner, the $1.90 favourite, began speedily from the No. 6 barrier and gave a bold frontrunning display to win by 4m from Bettor Finish, rating 1.57.4 after final 400m sections of 28.7sec. and 27.8sec.
