Paul Edward is just too fast
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green achieved a notable victory when he produced Paul Edward in top shape for his impressive first-up win in the $30,000 Pure Steel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when the five-year-old was having his first start for 23 weeks.
But the win was tinged with a bit of disappointment because Paul Edward, driven by Maddison Brown, deprived Egerton-Green of winning the race with stablemate Hale Saint Louie, the hot $1.22 favourite.
Egerton-Green got Hale Saint Louie away to a smart start from the No. 1 barrier, and the four-year-old set a moderate early pace, with opening quarters of 31.1sec. and 30.7sec., with Paul Edward, the $9.20 second favourite from the inside of the back line, enjoying an ideal sit behind the pacemaker.
Brown eased Paul Edward off the pegs just before the home turn, and the horse sprinted fast to get to the front 50m from the post before winning by a length, rating 1.57.4 over the 2130m, with a final quarter of 27.9sec. Soho Firestone ($31) ran on from seventh at the bell to finish third, three lengths behind Hale Saint Louie.
“Paul Edward is super quick, so I was quietly confident that if we got the split he would win,” said Brown. “He got the world perfect run tonight and we didn’t have to go around a lot of horses; we came one off the rail turning for home.”
Brown was having only her second drive behind Paul Edward, with her previous drive being when the horse finished a neck second to Peter Petrify in the Higgins Memorial in August last year.
Paul Edward, bred and owned by Steve Johnson, is by American sire Always B Miki and is the ninth foal out of Like A Dame (36 starts for three wins, 12 placings and $10,312). Paul Edward is a half-brother to former star pacer David Hercules, who earned $1,263,159 from 39 wins and 35 placings from 108 starts.
Bettagetonpip set for classics
Bettagetonpip’s commanding victory in the $21,000 Support Variety Club WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night was a firm indication that she will be a leading contender for the upcoming rich classic events for two-year-old fillies.
This was her first test over 2130m (the distance of the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 9 and the $215,000 Westbred Classic on September 6), and she passed with flying colours.
A well-supported $2.30 favourite, Bettagetonpip began well from barrier four and took up the running after 170m before leading her rivals on a merry dance and winning by three lengths from Stella Deliziosa ($13), with debutant Ciganda ($34) a further ten metres back in third place.
This was a convincing performance by Bettagetonpip, who was having her first start after a three-month absence. After a slow opening quarter of 31.8sec. Bettagetonpip ran the final three 400m sections in 29.2sec., 28.7sec. and 29.8sec. and rated 1.58.3.
She is prepared by astute Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell and was driven with supreme confidence by Kyle Symington, who said: “Her work has been a lot better this preparation. She still doesn’t look like she has grown into herself, and once she fills out a bit, she will be a really nice filly.”
Bettagetonpip is by American stallion Betting Line and is out of Pippa Royale, who had 33 starts for three wins (two at Bunbury and one at Pinjarra), nine placings and stakes of $24,890.
Pippa Royale is a half-sister to seven winers, including Truckers Ruffnut (53 starts for 20 wins, 14 placings and $249,770), Tuxedo Tour (70 starts for 15 wins,21 placings and $194,596) and Give Us A Wave (65 starts for 16 wins, 16 placings and $165,857). Give Us A Wave won ten times in Western Australia and has now won six races in America.
Bettagetonpip was purchased for $39,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale, and she has earned $38,881 from two wins and two seconds for four starts.
Three Rumours regains form
New Zealand-bred mare Three Rumours bounced back to her best form with an effortless victory in the $23,000 Prindiville Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, a striking performance which showed she will be a leading candidate in the $50,000 Kerry Clarke Pace next Friday week.
Three Rumours, the $1.70 favourite, began well from the No. 3 barrier but was beaten for early speed by $13 chance Blaze Coops, leaving her with the onerous task of racing in the breeze.
However, this was no impediment, and when Gary Hall jnr asked her for an effort turning into the back straight for the final time, she responded in fine style and burst to the front 480m from home and went on to win by four lengths from $21 chance Brulee, who had trailed the frontrunning Blaze Coops all the way.
“It’s good to have Three Rumours back on track,” said trainer Nathan Turvey. “I think I had raced her a bit too much, so I have backed off her workload and spaced her runs. And she seems happy.
“She ran good time (rating 1.56.1). Normally when she hits the front, she star gazes a bit. But tonight, she was happy to keep going.”
Three Rumours is owned by Busselton trainer Barry Howlett in partnership with his wife Lynley and their son Jimmy. Barry Howlett also owns and trains Brulee.
Three Rumours, a Mach Three six-year-old, has raced 56 times for eleven wins, 19 seconds and three thirds for stakes of $221,037.
Prince Of Pain overcomes pressure
Prince Of Pain, the $2.60 favourite, revealed excellent fighting qualities when he defied fierce early challenges for the lead from Gully Gum ($3.10) and Rascal ($19) and went on to set a solid pace and win the 2130m Sport FM Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The early rivalry for the lead resulted in a fast lead time of 35.7sec. and Prince Of Pain, after opening quarters of 30.4sec. and 30.1sec., impressed when he dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 29.5sec. to win by a length from the fast-finishing $8 chance Linebacker.
Linebacker, who raced in the one-out, one-back position before being hampered for room until getting clear on the home turn, sprinted fast in the home straight and looked a serious threat to Prince Of Pain until he broke into a gallop in the final ten metres.
Linebacker had cast his off fore shoe 50m from the post, and this undoubtedly was the reason why he broke into a gallop. The Barry Howlett-trained five-year-old will pay to follow.
Prince Of Pain, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, was driven by Deni Roberts, who admitted that she was nervous after the fast lead time. “I didn’t expect or want to do that (go so fast early). He is still learning. However, he handled it quite well.
“He kicked pretty good for me on the home corner, and he has run a good time (rating 1.56.7). I think that we would’ve still won even if Linebacker did not break.”
The New Zealand-bred Prince Of Pain is by Bettors Delight and is out of Holly Madison, a winner of five races at Alexandra Park in a 17-start career which included finishing fourth behind the brilliant Adore Me in the group 1 Northern Oaks in March 2013. Prince Of Pain now has earned $33,342 from two wins and seven placings from 14 starts.
Edwards picks a winner
When Busselton trainer Barry Howlett offered some of his large team of pacers for sale about six months ago Gnangara trainer Luke Edwards selected the Bettors Delight gelding Bettor Class.
And Edwards has no regrets with his decision to buy the seven-year-old Bettor Class, who won at his third appearance at Gloucester Park (and his third start for Edwards) when he was a $5.90 chance from barrier No. 2 in the 2130m Cowden Insurance Pace on Friday night.
Ryan Warwick guided him to a half-length win over the pacemaker and $3.30 second fancy Gee Smith to take the gelding’s career record to 33 starts for six wins and ten placings for stakes of $45,051.
Bettor Class was beaten for early speed by Gee Smith and Warwick was quite content to take the sit behind that veteran pacer until he eased him off the pegs on the home turn and finished solidly to take a narrow lead 50m from the post.
“I bought him about six months ago when Barry Howlett had a few for sale, and he was on the list,” said Edwards. “I picked him out, thinking he would be a good country horse. He was only a cheapie, and a lot of my loyal owners have bought small shares in him.
“Bettor Class is racing again at Gloucester Park on Tuesday (in race six) and hopefully he can repeat the dose.”
Jett Star appreciates a change
Quality pacer Jett Star relished a change of role at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he gave a rare frontrunning exhibition to score a comfortable win in the 1730m Support Variety Club WA Pace.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old had worked had in the breeze at his four previous starts for a win, two seconds and a fifth placing. He drew the prized No. 1 barrier on Friday night and was a hot $1.50 favourite.
The previous time Jett Star had led all the way in a race was 17 starts earlier when he began from the No. 1 barrier and held on to beat Faster Than Dad by a head at Gloucester Park on April 28, 2023.
Jett Star is generally quite a lazy horse in his races, and Deni Roberts had to urge him forward to withstand a brief early challenge from $8 chance Arma Xfactor, who began speedily from barrier five.
But after that Jett Star was able to meander through the opening 400m sections in 31sec. and 30.3sec. before increasing the tempo with final quarters of 28.8sec. and 27.4sec. on his way to winning by just over a half-length from the $3.20 second favourite Magnus Victor, who finished fast after racing behind the leader all the way. However, Roberts had to drive Jett Star hard in the closing stages to keep his mind on the job.
The win completed a double for Roberts and leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond after they had been successful earlier in the night with Prince Of Pain.
Jett Star, who looks set to maintain his winning ways in the winter months, has earned $261,123 from 21 wins and ten placings from 48 starts.
The Miki Taker is tough
Star Capel trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo lauded The Miki Taker for his toughness after driving the five-year-old to a narrow victory in the $25,000 Sport FM Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Miki Taker, equal favourite at $3.40 with Rolling Fire, set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and looked likely to be beaten when $5.50 chance Lusaka took a narrow lead 220m from home after enjoying a favourable trip in the one-out, one-back position.
However, The Miki Taker responded grandly to de Campo’s vigorous urgings to snatch a nose victory over Lusaka, with Rolling Fire a head away in third place after running home strongly from sixth at the bell.
“I knew that The Miki Taker’s final 50 metres is the only time he actually wants to go, and as long as we raced head and head (with Lusaka) in the home straight I knew he would kick back,” said de Campo.
“They don’t come tougher than him. I revved him up a fair bit in the warm-up and had him pretty keen at the gate. I was quite lucky to have (stablemate) Dominus Factum on our outside to keep his (The Miki Taker) mind on the job.
“Hopefully, The Miki Taker will make it to Free-For-All level during the winter.”
The Miki Taker has been a wonderful consistent performer for de Campo, having raced 41 times for 14 wins, 16 placings and $247,966 in prizemoney.
Ace Commander’s splendid return
Veteran square gaiter Ace Commander reappeared after an injury-enforced absence of 18 months in superb fashion when he outclassed his rivals in the $21,000 Cowden The Insurance Brokers Trot.
Ther ten-year-old’s victory was a triumph for Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman, whose patience and loving care enabled the gelding to recover from nasty leg injuries.
“He had many problems,” said Hayman. “He had some soreness in a hind leg, and then he did a suspensory up front during his next preparation. So, we have taken our time with him.
“He has now come back as a lovely horse who is more settled, and I’m very happy for owners Merv and Meg Butterworth because they love this horse. They are so excited to see him back at the races. They have been so patient, which makes our job a lot easier.
“What Ace Commander has is something that a lot of trotters lack, and that is his turn of foot speed. He can run a 28sec. quarter like a pacer can. Most trotters run a more even, solid time. But he has that point-to-point speed which is one of his best attributes.”
On Friday night Ace Commander was a $6.40 chance from the inside of the front line in a 2503m standing-start event in which champion reinsman Chris Lewis got him away perfectly on his way to an impressive all-the-way victory over the $2.75 favourite Thats Not My Gait and the $15 chance Abundance.
Ace Commander has now had eleven starts in Western Australia for four wins and four placings. His three previous wins in the State were in mobile events, but he shone in New Zealand with his five wins from 31 starts there being in standing-start events.
He is by American sire Monarchy and is the fourth foal out of Aceofdiamonds, who had 55 starts for seven wins, 13 placings and $50,114. Ace Commander has earned $74,873 from nine wins and 15 placings from 44 starts.
Age is not affecting Diego
Advancing years is not affecting the enthusiasm or the speed of veteran New Zealand-bred pacer Diego, who gave a strong indication that he will be a leading contender in the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on November 8 when he scored a powerful victory in the $31,000 Cowden Insurance Solutions Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eight-year-old Diego, winner of the WA Pacing Cup in January 2023, was driven superbly by Maddison Brown, who has a wonderful affinity with the gelding, having handled him in 46 races for 13 wins, six seconds and seven thirds.
Diego, trained by Gary Hall snr, was a $3.50 chance from the No. 4 barrier who settled down in third place behind stablemate and $2.20 favourite Wildwest and the polemarker Galactic Star ($12).
Wildwest began well from barrier two but was held out by Galactic Star, with a very fast lead time of 35sec. Wildwest worked hard to get to the front after 400m, and soon after that Brown made a winning move by dashing Diego forward to assume control with 1300m to travel.
Diego then successfully repelled a challenge from $3.70 third favourite Steel The Show, with the middle quarters whizzing by in 27.6sec. and 28sec. Wildwest ran home determinedly to finish second, almost a length behind, with Steel The Show a fighting third. The speed of the race affected all runners, and the final 400m was covered in a modest 29.2sec., with Diego recording a smart 1.54.3 rate over the 2130m journey.
Brown explained that the early speed and the fact that Wildwest had been involved in the early conflict with Galactic Star prompted her decision to charge to the front with Diego. “I didn’t do a lot off the gate, and I just put my foot down,” she said. “And in the end, they didn’t get as close as I thought they would.”
Diego has been an outstanding campaigner, who has earned $877,383 from 26 wins and 23 placings from 97 starts. He came to Western Australia after racing 17 times in New Zealand for three wins, five placings and $26,750.
Padberg’s purple patch
Star reinsman Shannon Suvaljko was fulsome in his praise of Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg after driving her six-year-old pacer Lil Happy Fella to win an action-packed 2130m Cowden The Insurance Brokers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Suvaljko, who has driven hundreds of winners for Padberg, said that he was always confident of a strong showing when driving one of her pacers.
“She has done a great job over the years,” he said. “All her horses look a million dollars; they look fit, and they race how they look.”
Lil Happy Fella’s win continued a purple patch for Padberg, giving her a fourth success in the past four Friday night meetings at Gloucester Park.
On May 17 Lil Happy Fella was successful as a $11.70 chance, and he was great value again at $14.80 when he won on Friday night. In between those two wins Padberg landed a double on May 24, scoring with State Of Heaven ($5.70) and Name In Lights ($5.20).
Lil Happy Fella, who was a $21 chance on the fixed market on Friday night, was not bustled early by Suvaljko when he began from the outside barrier (No. 8) on the front line, with Youre So Fine dominating the betting as a $1.14 favourite from the No. 3 barrier.
Youre So Fine began well but was beaten out by the $17 chance Navy Street, who began speedily from barrier two and burst past the polemarker Machlani to surge to the front after 100m.
Gary Hall jnr then dashed Youre So Fine forward in a bid for the lead, but he was thwarted by Ryan Warwick, who was determined to remain in front with Navy Street.
Youre So Fine and Navy Street were locked together in battle in a fast lead time of 35.6sec. before the opening 400m section of the final mile was covered in a blistering 27.4sec., followed by a solid second quarter of 29.7sec. before Youre So Fine eventually gained the upper hand with a lap to travel.
When Youre So Fine was in front at the bell Lil Happy Fella was a distant tenth before Suvaljko urged him forward 100m later. October Reign ($26) was third without cover at the bell before he worked forward to get to the front 500m from home.
Lil Happy Fella sustained a solid burst from the rear to eventually take a narrow lead 50m from the post before winning by a half neck from $31 chance Cloud Nine, who fought on from eighth at the bell. Youre So Fine wilted to finish tenth, with Navy Street fading to eleventh. The winner rated 1.55.6.
Regarding his thoughts when Lil Happy Fella was at the rear during the early and mid-race fireworks, Suvaljko said: “I always go on how fast they’re going, and when I saw the lead time and the first quarter, I knew I was in with a big chance.
“I looked around the field to see which horses were on the bit and which ones were off the bit. The only ones on the bit were Rocknroll Elliot, who was behind me, and Alta Rhett. So, I had to stay in front of Alta Rhett and keep Rocknroll Elliot out of it. And everything worked out well.”
For Lil Happy Fella, his win was his first in a metro-class event, and it boosted his record to 56 starts for eleven wins, 15 placings and stakes of $100,485.
Padberg kept the pot boiling at Northam on Saturday night when Suvaljko drove her pacer You Fly With Me ($3.20) to victory in a 1780m event, with the winner finishing strongly on the inside to beat the pacemaker and $1.85 favourite Bronzed.
