Bond stable dominates WA Derby
Master trainers Greg and Skye Bond’s innate ability to prepare young pacers to be powerful stayers and have them at their peak for the testing 2536m Sky Racing WA Derby was rewarded when their five youngsters filled five of the top six places in the $200,000 classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Their No. 1 contender Christopher Dance proved far too brilliant for the opposition as he overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and enjoyed an exemplary drive from Deni Roberts.
Roberts thought long and hard before deciding to handle Christopher Dance, despite his bad draw, ahead of the speedy frontrunner Vegas Strip (barrier one), Tualou (four), Thenu Came Along (barrier two on the back line) and Golden Lode (No. 3 on the back line).
“I made the right choice --- class always prevails --- she said after bringing Christopher Dance, the $2.40 favourite, with a spirited burst from last with 1300m to travel to surge to the front at the 250m mark and win by three and a half lengths from the $10 chance Menemsha, trained and driven by Aiden De Campo.
Then followed, in order, the other four Bond runners Thenu Came Along ($26), Golden Lode ($15), Vegas Strip ($3.50) and Tualou ($15).
Christopher Dance set a race record, with his rate of 1.56 eclipsing the 1.56.1 set by Justin Prentice’s Mighty Ronaldo in 2021.
It was fitting that watching the Derby was New Zealand visitor and champion Hall of Fame trainer-reinsman Colin DeFilippe, who drove the only three-year-old to have won six major Australasian Derbies, the legendary Courage Under Fire, who was successful in the Great Northern and New Zealand Derbies and the group 1 classics in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Australian Derby in the 1998-99 season.
Also at Gloucester Park on Friday night was New Zealander Chris Webbber, who paid $8000 for Christopher Dance at the New Zealand national weanling sale at Karaka in May 2021.
After the Sweet Lou colt had earned $56,878 from two wins and three placings in New Zealand he somewhat reluctantly sold him to Greg and Skye Bond, while retaining small share.
“I’ve never had a horse like him, and it was a hard decision to sell him,” said Webber. “But he had set me up for life, and I have kept a small share in him. I thought he would have a better future over here. He has a motor, something that not many horses have.”
Greg Bond was delighted with the performances of the stable’s five runners, and he said: “We were behind the eight ball when we got Christopher Dance. He had a couple of little issues, and between Skye and Deni and their hard work we got the result on the track tonight. Now we’re looking forward to the Golden Nugget next year.”
For Greg Bond this was his fifth success in the WA Derby (all with New Zealand-bred pacers), having been successful with Richard Henry (2005), In The Force (2009), and Seel N Print (2011) and then in partnership with Skye with Patronus Star (2020) and Christopher Dance.
As expected, Vegas Strip, driven by Chris Lewis, took up the running from the No. 1 barrier after fending off early challenges from $101 outsider Franco Encore and Tualou, while Roberts restrained Christoher Dance back to last, along with the only filly in the race, the $61 chance and WA Oaks winner Madam Publisher, whose New Zealand breeder and owner Les Whiteside was on course.
Tualou was left in the breeze, and Menemsha was enjoying an ideal passage behind the pacemaking Vegas Strip.
Christopher Dance was last in the field of twelve after a lap before Roberts eased him three wide 1300m from home. This flushed out Alta Tribute ($8), thus giving the favourite an advantageous three-wide trip with cover.
But with 550m to travel Alta Tribute and Menemsha locked sulky stays, causing Alta Tribute to pace very roughly and drop back. It was then that Christopher Dance narrowly avoided getting into trouble.
“I anticipated what was going to happen,” said Roberts. “And I had actually started to hook around it before it happened, which helped me. Aiden was pushing off the fence and jostled with Alta Tribute, with their stays becoming locked. Luckily, I didn’t get interfered with too much.
“Christopher Dance was really impressive. It felt like we were going slow the whole time, but he has a really high cruising speed. He’s exciting and quite scary, and I can’t wait for the future with him.”
For the Bonds this was their 2204TH victory as a training partnership, and their 19TH in a group 1 feature event. Roberts (29) has now driven 699 winners, with three in group 1 events, the WA Derby following wins with Vegas Strip in the 2023 Golden Slipper and Belly Up in the Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and gelding in September this year.
Christopher Dance remains unbeaten at three West Australian starts, and his career record stands at ten starts for five wins, three placings and $205,582 in prizemoney.
Madam Publisher, who began out wide at barrier eight, met with interference in the back straight in the final lap and finished in eleventh place.
Captain Ravishing shines at his WA debut
Brilliant speedster Captain Ravishing made a superb WA debut and emerged as a serious contender for the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup when Aiden De Campo drove him to a most impressive victory in the Sky Racing Navy Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He will be better for the Pacing Cup next Friday night,” said the New South Wales-bred five-year-old’s Victorian trainer Freddy Taiba. “He needed that run and pulled up a bit big.”
Taiba, who arrived in Perth two days before Friday night’s event, heaped praise on Oakford trainer Jemma Hayman and her husband Ross Olivieri, who have cared for Captain Ravishing since he arrived in WA almost a fortnight ago.
“The horse will stay with Jemma and Ross,” said Taiba. “They have been unbelievable, and I’ll remain here, but Jemma will continue working the horse. She turned him out a treat tonight, so we won’t be changing anything.”
Hayman said that Captain Ravishing had settled in wonderfully at his new surroundings. “We have converted him to being led off the quad bike, and he has taken to it like a duck to water and is enjoying being worked on the sand.”
Captain Ravishing was the $4.80 second favourite, with Lavra Joe dominating betting as the $1.60 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
De Campo got Captain Ravishing away smartly from the No. 5 barrier, while Lavra Joe held up with Steno ($10) in the breeze for the first 450m before Captain Ravishing moved to that position after a moderate lead time of 37.4sec.
The first quarter was run in a comfortable 30sec. before Gary Hall jnr dashed last-start winner and $31 chance Jawsoflincoln forward in the first circuit to quickly get to the breeze, leaving Captain Ravishing in the ideal one-out, one-back position, with Steno following him in the one-wide line.
Lavra Joe increased the tempo with second and third 400m sections of 28.9sec. and 27.9sec. before Captain Ravishing revealed sparkling speed when De Campo sent him forward with a three-wide burst 500m from home.
Captain Ravishing surged to the front about 120m from the post and went on to win by a length from $18 chance To Fast To Serious, who had trailed the pacemaker all the way. Steno finished solidly to be third, with Lavra Joe wilting to fourth after a final quarter of 28.4sec.
“We had to do a little bit of work early and I was happy to sit in the breeze,” said De Campo. “But when the cover came it was perfect.
“I clicked Captain Ravishing up half-way down the back straight --- and he went fast. When I got to the front, he knocked off a bit. He is a super horse. He was running around a little bit, but that’s just him. He looks a lot worse than he actually is.”
Captain Ravishing has been lightly raced, and he now has had 23 starts for 12 wins, five placings and $573,725.
“He has never had anything major wrong with him,” said Taiba. “He is a fast horse, and you have a lot of problems when you go so fast. But there’s never been anything serious.
“My brother Hassan purchased Captain Ravishing for $80,000 at the 2020 APG yearling sale in Sydney. With his looks he was a stand-out, and Michael Doltoff (Sydney trainer) is a good friend of ours and he pushed us.”
Xceptional Arma bounces back
A losing sequence of 14, including unplaced efforts at her past six starts, and the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line did not prevent talented three-year-old filly Xceptional Arma from bouncing back to her best form and winning the $21,000 Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The winner of the group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-olds in September of last year, Xceptional Arma was a $34.80 outsider, with Lion Queen the $2.60 favourite from barrier two on the back line.
Soho Honey Rider ($6) was smartest to begin from barrier five but was unable to get past the polemarker and $3.40 second fancy Chilli Punter, who led until passed by $34 chance Soho Vesper Lind 1100m from home.
Maddison Brown, driving Xceptional Arma for her father, Banjup trainer Colin Brown, restrained the filly back to last while the early pace was a cracker, with a lead time of 36.4sec. and opening quarters of 29.1sec. and 28.6sec.
Xceptional Arma dashed forward, out three wide, approaching the bell and she was four wide on the home bend before sprinting strongly to get to the front with about 90m to travel. She went on to win by a length from $11 chance Nase Vira, who finished solidly from seventh at the bell.
Xceptional Arma, who rated 1.56.2, has been a splendid moneyspinner who now has raced 37 times for 13 wins, 12 placings and $325,535 in prizemoney.
“She was actually a bit lazy back in the field,” said Maddison Brown. “We usually have plugs and pull-downs on two different cords, but I had only one cord tonight. I would have liked to have popped the plugs a bit earlier to get her travelling a bit more.”
Acuto loves to lead
Veteran pacer Acuto does his best work when he sets the pace, and outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington made every post a winner from barrier one when he drove a canny race in front to win the 1730m Follow @Skyracingau On X Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Symington was acutely aware that the $2.30 favourite Tommy Waterhouse was trailing Acuto, the $3.90 second fancy, after beginning from the inside of the back line. Therefore, he did not ask Acuto to race at maximum speed with opening quarters of 29.7sec. and 30sec. --- with Tommy Waterhouse hemmed in on the pegs.
Gary Hall jnr managed to ease Tommy Waterhouse off the inside at the bell, but he then was still hampered for room, with Navy Street, out three wide, keeping him in a pocket all the way down the back straight and until he began to wilt, allowing Tommy Waterhouse to get into the clear with 120m to travel.
Tommy Waterhouse battled on doggedly, but made no serious impression on Acuto, who covered the final 400m in 28.8sec. and won by a length from $13 chance Regal Cheval, with Tommy Waterhouse finishing fourth.
“Acuto does well out in front,” said Symington. “He could have gone a lot quicker, but it wouldn’t have been beneficial if I had let Tommy Waterhouse out. So, I just had to stack them up down the back and keep Tommy Waterhouse in a pocket.”
Acuto, owned and trained by Chris Phatouros, ended a losing sequence of 16 and took his record to 128 starts for 15 wins, 29 placings and $189,394 in stakes.
Longreach Bay gets the job done
If seven-year-old Longreach Bay had been sound during his career he would have been as good as his exciting elder full-sister Cott Beach, according to his breeder, part-owner and trainer Peter King.
During his five-and-a-half-year career Longreach Bay has been on the sidelines for breaks of 16 months, nine months and six months, and he has managed 65 starts for twelve wins, seven placings and stakes of $143,138.
Longreach Bay was produced in fine fettle by King for his assignment in the 2130m Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Trent Wheeler guided the $4.20 favourite to a convincing all-the-way win.
“I thought he was going to be as good as Cott Beach but an injury to his flexor tendon in his nearside front leg kept him out of action for a lengthy period,” said King who retired Cott Beach to the breeding barn four years ago.
Cott Beach excelled as a young pacer when she won a group 1 and a group 2 classic and finished second to Jack Mac in the Golden Slipper as a two-year-old before maintaining her splendid form as a three-year-old when she finished third behind King Of Swing in the WA Derby and was third behind Our Major Mama in the WA Oaks.
Cott Beach, the fifth foal out of Back In The Black (who raced 43 times for seven wins, 18 placings and $275,902), had 41 starts for 15 wins, 14 placings and $275,902.
Wheeler has formed an excellent association with Longreach Bay, having driven the gelding for his past five wins. Longreach Bay began from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night and Wheeler sent him straight to the front, and after a dawdling lead time of 38sec. and a modest opening quarter of 31sec. he sprinted over the following 400m sections in 28.1sec. and 28.6sec. before coasting over the final quarter in 29.sec.
“He dropped down in class tonight and got his opportunity to win another race,” said Wheeler. “He is just a leader, and I think that it is the case here of if you lead, you win.
Rupert Of Lincoln Is Tough
Eight-year-old Rupert Of Lincoln lacks gate speed, but he more than compensates for this deficiency with his toughness.
He worked hard when he was a first-up winner at $11.70 ten nights before he was a $43.40 outsider from the No. 2 barrier in the 2130m Sky Racing Watch Live Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven for the first time in a race by Emily Suvaljko, Rupert Of Lincoln settled down in seventh position while the polemarker and $2.05 favourite Flying Rumour was setting a moderate pace, with Solesseo Matuca ($6) in the breeze.
At the bell Rupert Of Lincoln was sixth in the one-out, two-back position before Flying Rumour sped over the third quarter of the final mile in 27.8sec.
Rupert Of Lincoln was sixth at the 300m when Suvaljko eased him three wide before he was switched four wide on the home turn. He then finished determinedly to take a narrow lead in the final 40m and won in a blanket finish which saw ten of the eleven runners finish with two lengths of each other.
Lamandier ($51) was eighth at the bell before finishing out very wide to be second, one metre behind the winner and a head in front of $15 chance Ima Five Star General.
Rupert Of Lincoln has been a handy performer for Merv Butterworth’s racing syndicate, having earned $166,146 from 17 wins and 24 placings from 77 starts. He won at two of his three New Zealand starts and was successful at ten of his 36 Victorian appearances before arriving in WA where his 38 starts have produced five wins and eleven placings.
He is by Lincoln Royal and is the second foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Crush, who had nine starts in New Zealand for one win in a $3000 event at Winton in May 2011.
Insta Gator enjoying a purple patch
Insta Gator, described by his trainer-driver Jocelyn Young as a big, lean and gangly horse, has resumed racing after a spell in splendid form, with three wins and a head second placing from five starts.
He was the $2.20 favourite in the 2130m Sky Racing Active Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he excelled in the role of pacemaker and scored a runaway victory, rating a very smart 1.54.5.
Insta Gator began from the No. 4 barrier and settled down in third place before Young sent him to the front after a solid lead time of 36sec.
After an opening quarter of a slow 31.1sec. Insta Gator dashed over the final three 400m sections in 28.7sec., 27.9sec. and another 27.9sec. to beat the $2.90 second fancy The Beaudster by more than four lengths after that pacer had worked hard without cover for much of the race.
“I have upped his work a bit,” said Young when giving a reason for his excellent form.
Insta Gator, purchased for $45,000 at the 2021 APG Perth yearling sale, has earned $75,788 from eight wins and 11 placings from 27 starts. This was his first metro-class win, and there are surely many more to follow.
He is by American sire Huntsville and is out of Art Major mare Topless Beach Girl (21 starts for one win, ten placings and $21,810), who is also the dam of smart performer The Miki Taker, who has raced 54 times for 15 wins, 23 placings and $297,179.
Jimmy Rocks survives serious injury
It was feared that the promising career of Jimmy Rocks had come to an end after just three starts when he was involved in a bad accident in a race at Pinjarra on May 1, 2023.
Jimmy Rocks met with severe interference, dislodged his driver Mitch Miller and fell when the odds-on favourite Prince Of Pain, driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, cross-fired and fell on the home bend.
“Jimmy Rocks split his off-side shoulder open,” said the gelding’s trainer Kim Prentice. “It was then feared that he might have to be put down. But the vets stitched him up and saved him.”
He then needed five months of rehabilitation, and he was out of action for six months before returning to racing.
Prentice and Miller were overjoyed when Jimmy Rocks, the $4.30 second favourite, gave a bold frontrunning display to win the $21,000 #Skyracing WA Derby Consolation at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven confidently by Miller, Jimmy Rocks gave his rivals little hope by dashing over the final three 400m sections in 28.8sec., 28.5sec. and 28.4sec. to beat $11 chance Kurious Boy by 8m, rating 1.59.2 over 2536m.
“There’s nothing of him; he’s just a little ripper,” said Prentice. “I loved the way he walked at the APG Perth yearling sale in 2022 and bought him cheaply before syndicating him (to eight stable clients).” He cost $19,000 and now has had 22 starts for three wins, 12 placings and $43,254.
Jimmy Rocks is by Rock N Roll World and is the fourth foal out of Arkndeliver, who was retired after being unplaced at two starts in Queensland as a two-year-old.
Aardiebytheseaside’s excellent trial
Star mare Aardiebytheseaside enjoyed what could well be described as a good track workout when she strolled around the Gloucester Park circuit on Friday night to record an effortless victory in the $27,000 Follow @Skyracingau On Instagram Pace over 2130m.
The four-year-old mare, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, was the $1.10 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, and she gave Deni Roberts an armchair drive to win by a length from the fast-finishing $71 chance Little Darling, rating 1.57.5, with final quarters of 28.8sec. and 27.1sec.
It was an impressive performance leading into the $100,000 Barbagallo Norms Daughter Classic next Friday night when her clash with the Jocelyn Young-trained Steno should provide action aplenty.
“It was nice to have such a nice run,” said Roberts. “She was so relaxed tonight. She has never been so relaxed, and she can reel off a terrific quarter whenever she needs to.
“Steno’s run when third to Captain Ravishing in the Navy Cup tonight was exceptional, and she is going to be hard to beat every time we clash.”
The New Zealand-bred Aardiebytheseaside has now earned $395,727 from 16 wins and eight placings from 30 starts.
Wonderful To Fly is back on track
“She looks like she is back on track,” said a relieved part-owner, trainer and reinsman Shane Young after classy five-year-old mare Wonderful To Fly had produced an explosive finishing burst to come from the clouds to win the $25,000 Sky Racing Listen Live Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The victory in which she rated 1.56.1 has boosted Young’s confidence that she will be prominent in next Friday night’s $100,000 Barbagallo Norms Daughter Classic and the $150,000 Westral Mares Classic a fortnight later.
Wonderful To Fly went into Friday night’s event with a losing sequence of ten, including five unplaced efforts in her current campaign, and her victory as a $8.90 chance ended an eleven-month drought.
Wonderful To Fly began from the inside of the back line and she settled down in eighth position and was still eighth when Young finally was able to get her off the pegs and into the clear with 400m to travel.
The $2.35 favourite Hampton Banner was still in front after working hard for the first 350m to get past the polemarker Jaspervellabeach ($10) and into the lead after a fast lead time of 35.2sec.
Wonderful To Fly was switched four wide on the home bend and she sprouted wings to thunder home and win by a half-length from Hampton Banner and Cordero ($21) who ran home solidly to dead-heat for second.
“Her form didn’t look great,” said Young. “I think at her first couple of runs (in this preparation) we were caught out with her fitness. Two runs ago (when last behind Dominus Factum) I thought she didn’t go that badly when she got pushed off the track at the 600m.
“And then a fortnight ago she gave us a better guide (when fourth behind Steno). I have stepped up her work and leading into tonight’s race she has worked as good as she has ever worked. We just had to wait and see if she brought this to the racetrack.
“I was thinking if she had an ounce of luck tonight, she would race well. And if she is right and they go hard in the big races to come she can be dangerous.”
Wonderful Top Fly’s spectacular flying victory took her record to 61 starts for 31 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $760,074.
