Flybye Lou’s amazing debut
Flighty filly Flybye Lou made a remarkable debut when she galloped badly at the start and lost about ten lengths before racing unkindly and then careering away to win the 2130m Perth’s #1 Station Nova 93.7 Pace by more than eight lengths at Gloucester Park on Friday night --- and in the process ending the brilliant Water Lou’s winning sequence of eight.
Water Lou was the $1.05 favourite for the 2130m event for three-year-old fillies and was considered unbeatable, boasting a record of 17 wins and two seconds from 21 starts for stakes of $325,071.
Onlookers, champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr and trainer Michael Young were stunned at the New Zealand-bred Flybye Lou’s sheer brilliance in winning by a margin of 24.7 metres from $51 chance Spice Package, with Water Lou retired from the race in the back straight in the final lap after she had suffered an atrial fibrillation when leading with just over a lap to go.
Flybye Lou started from the No. 1 barrier and was the second favourite at $14.60 after a runaway victory in a Byford trial the previous Sunday morning.
Flybe Lou broke into a fierce gallop at the start, and Shannon Suvaljko dashed Water Lou (after starting from the outside in the field of six) to the front after 200m.
Water Lou set a dawdling pace with opening 400m sections of 32.1sec. and 31.3sec. before she began to falter in the home straight, racing for the bell. Flybe Lou was then in last position as Hall urged her forward in a lightning move which saw her surge to the front 20m from the post with a lap to travel and then charge away from her rivals.
“She was terrible in the preliminary,” said Hall. “She tries to go too fast and fights you. She doesn’t like all the gear she has on, so she gets cranky.
“She put her head over the arm of the mobile barrier, and when I tried to get her back, she broke at the start. She might never sort herself out. If she settles, she will be pretty good.
“I knew that there was something wrong with Water Lou when he (Shannon Suvaljko) started urging her. Water Lou was off the bit, so I thought I’d go and pinch a break.”
Young was left shaking his head after Flybye Lou’s bewildering performance, saying: “She has all kinds of ability and all kinds of mental issues as well. She is absolutely a head scratcher.
“She is a really good horse, but we might never see her true ability if she doesn’t learn to settle. It was remarkable what she did after galloping at the start and then pulling. She just does everything wrong, and having so much talent that it makes it so frustrating.
“Flybye Lou’s trials in New Zealand were very good, and she was very expensive. She is worth every penny and if she learns to settle, she is as good as any filly in the State.”
Flybye Lou is raced by prominent owner Glen Moore, who celebrated his 72ND birthday on Wednesday and enjoyed a winning treble on Friday night with Youre So Fine, Coney Island Lou and Flybye Lou. Flybe Lou’s win completed a treble for Hall, who was also successful in the sulky with Youre So Fine and Coney Island Lou.
Mike Reed, the trainer of Water Lou, was happy to report that his filly had not suffered any physical damage. “She had never before fibrillated,” he said. “Shannon said that she was relaxed and travelling well before fibrillating and then she couldn’t go and down the back started wobbling.
“Never mind, it could be worse. It could’ve been a pedal bone, a tendon or a suspensory. Water Lou will have an ECG, and I’ll get the vets to go over her.”
Flybye Lou is by American sire Sweet Lou and is the fourth foal out of Ideal Flybye, who raced 31 times for ten wins, four placings and $62,468.
Flybye Lou’s half-sister Kahlua Flybye (by Bettors Delight) earned $197,739 from eight wins and 15 placings from 32 starts. As a two-year-old Kahlua Flybye finished second in three group 1 and third in two group 2 events in New Zealand. She was also placed in a group 1 event as a three-year-old and in a group 2 event as a four-year-old.
Congerton back in the limelight
Prominent breeder and owner Mark Congerton was all smiles when he reappeared at Gloucester Park on Friday night after an absence of almost five years.
Congerton, a part-owner of former superstar multi-millionaire pacers Im Themightyquinn and King Of Swing, celebrated his return when his New Zealand-bred pacer Coney Island Lou scored a smart victory in the $21,000 Steel Blue Work Boots Pace over 2130m.
The four-year-old was his first starter at Gloucester Park since Gary Hall jnr drove King Of Swing to win a race from Simba Bromac on November 15, 2019.
Hall drove Coney Island Lou, prepared by Gary Hall snr, with utmost confidence, setting the pace with the $1.10 favourite from barrier five and winning by just over a length from the $9.50 second fancy Ideal Tomado after dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 27.9sec.
This was a successful Australian debut for Coney Island Lou, who now has raced 16 times for five wins, four placings and stakes of $82,608, illustrating Congerton’s astute judgment of horseflesh.
“I liked the breeding and liked the look of the yearling when I watched a video of him walking,” said Congerton. “He was offered at the yearling sale at Canterbury in February 2021and I was keen to buy him. He had a reserve price on him of $40,000, and there were no bids. So, I was able to buy him online for $40,000.”
After Coney Island Lou’s first win in New Zealand Congerton sold a share of the gelding to Glen Moore, who was also a part-owner of Im Themightyquinn and King Of Swing, as well as hundreds of other outstanding pacers.
Coney Island Lou now races in the name of Congerton’s wife Peta-Ann, Moore and 6PR radio broadcaster Russell Collett, who was a part-owner of Crusader Banner, who won 13 races between 2013 and 2018.
Coney Island Lou is by Sweet Lou and is the first foal out of the American Ideal mare Alta Shangri La, who raced 17 times for two wins and one placings for stakes of $29,940. Alta Shangri La’s elder half-brother Alta Intrigue (trained by Hall snr and part-owned by Moore) was retired after racing 75 times for 14 wins, 29 placings and $260,594. Alta Intrigue had 49 starts in WA for ten wins and 16 placings.
Hall jnr said that Coney Island Lou was having a bit of trouble adapting to the WA style of racing and the WA tracks.
“But he certainly has got a motor,” he said. “His best asset is his speed, and when he goes up in grade and races in a sit and kick style you will probably see a better horse. He had issues in New Zealand, hanging and overracing, but he was really good tonight, out in front.”
Easy for Soho Seraphine
A slow lead time of 38.5sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.4sec. and 30.8sec. paved the way for Soho Seraphine’s easy victory in the $30,000 Nova 93.7 The Lewis Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Soho Seraphine, the $1.30 favourite, then sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 28.2sec. and won by two lengths from $6 second fancy Wall Street Girl, who trailed the pacemaking Soho Seraphine all the way. Little Darling ($12) ran on from ninth at the bell to finish third.
Soho Seraphine, trained by Kim Prentice, gave Mitch Miller an armchair drive, with Miller saying that the four-year-old had derived great benefit from her first-up effort a week earlier when she set the pace and wilted to dead-heat for fourth behind Acharne Girl in a group 3 events for mares.
“Last week we knew that she was a run short, and she overraced, and Junior (Gary Hall jnr) drove a good race (with Three Rumours applying plenty of pressure in the breeze) to bring us undone,” said Miller.
“This week we were quite confident Soho Seraphine would improve on her run last week. She drove a lot nicer and was a completely different horse. She got things her own way and was entitled to win the way she did.
“Her gate speed will be a major asset. She has been a leader for most of her career but up against the better mares in better races we might be able to take a sit with her. At home, she shows that she can reel off some nice quarters.”
Soho Seraphine is by American stallion Betting Line and is the first foal out of the Mach Three mare Angel Bromac, who raced 14 times for four wins, five placings and $56,500. In 2016 Angel Bromac finished second to Lady Luca in the group 1 Diamond Classic and second to Maczaffair in the group 3 Gold Bracelet.
Youre So Fine is on the way back
New Zealand-bred five-year-old Youre So Fine is gradually regaining his best form, according to reinsman Gary Hall jnr, who drove the gelding to a narrow in in the 2130m Nova Boy’s Race Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Youre So Fine, trained by Gary Hall snr, was the $2.50 favourite from the inside of the back line, and Hall jnr made a quick decision to change his anticipated tactics after a fast lead time of 36.4sec.
Hall wasted no time in easing Youre So Fine off the pegs, and the gelding settled down in 11TH position, with the $4.40 second fancy Lamandier setting the pace.
“I wanted to drive Youre So Fine with a sit but after the early speed I reckoned they would start to walk,” he explained. “I didn’t want to go around them (and into the breeze), but I thought that if I didn’t go when I did (after 700m) that I would be three wide for the last lap.”
Youre So Fine then finished determinedly to get to the front in the home straight and win by a half-neck from $31 outsider Benji, who was tenth with 250m to travel before finishing fast along the inside. “I was a bit lucky because Benji was hampered for room late,” said Hall.
“Youre So Fine is certainly not in the form when he was one of the favourites for the Golden Nugget last December. But he has had a lot of issues and excuses. Early on, before his four-year-old campaign he damaged a tendon in both front legs. However, he is fine now.”
Youre So Fine, a gelding by Always B Miki, won once from three New Zealand starts and now has a good record of 27 starts for 12 wins, six placings and $202,676.
Me Flash loves to lead
Me Flash relishes his role as the frontrunner, and Yarloop trainer-reinsman Shane Steele took full advantage of the prized No. 1 barrier to drive the five-year-old to victory in the $21,000 Nova 93.7 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the gelding’s fourth all-the-way win after starting from barrier one, and it took his record to nine wins and 13 placings from 63 starts for stakes of $79,953.
Me Flash, who had been unplaced at his past seven starts since leading from barrier one and winning over 1177m at Pinjarra on May 6.
“He overraced a bit tonight but got the job done,” said the 35-year-old Steele, who works as a plumber in Pinjarra. “He goes good in front and has a kick at the end.”
Friday night’s win was the 40TH as a driver for Steele, who has been successful as a trainer 13 times.
Rockmyster’s flying start
A flying start from barrier No. 5 proved the vital ingredient for Rockmyster’s win in the $23,000 Smooth FM On Digital Radio Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rockmyster, an $11.70 chance, surprised punters and rival drivers when trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton got the five-year-old away with a sparkling burst of speed.
Rockmyster easily beat out the polemarker and $1.55 favourite Montana D J, who lost about eight lengths when he broke into gallop after about 20 metres.
Egerton-Green was able to get Rockmyster to relax and coast through the lead time in 38.2sec. and the opening 400m section in 31.1sec.
Solesseo Matuca ($7.50) raced in the breeze, and the $3.30 second favourite Lusaka raced in sixth position in the field of seven before Deni Roberts sent him forward, with a three wide burst 250m from home. Lusaka went five wide on the home turn and finished powerfully from fifth at the 100m to finish second, a head behind Rockmyster. Montana D J was at the rear all the way and finished sixth.
“Rockmyster has got really good gate speed but hasn’t been able to use it lately,” said Egerton-Green. “With Montana D J doing things wrong I was able to capitalise on this, and when Rockmyster leads he is hard to beat. And I think there is a bit of improvement in him.”
Rockmyster is by American stallion Rock N Roll Heaven and is the eleventh foal out of unraced Armbro Operative mare Operative Asset. Rockmyster, who won once from nine New Zealand starts, has earned $119,482 from 11 wins and eight placings from 38 starts.
Street Hawk cuts it fine
Street Hawk, the sole backmarker off 20 metres and a hot $1.70 favourite, gave his driver Deni Roberts many anxious moments before he charged home from third at the 100m to snatch a last-stride victory by a head over $5 chance Lucapelo in the 2503m Nova’s Fresh Country Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I didn’t think he was going to pick them up,” said a relieved Roberts. “He took a lot of asking and left it until the very last second. But it was a good run. He has been racing in stands recently, and I think we will switch him back to mobiles to make sure he doesn’t get into too much of a pattern.”
Street Hawk, a Bettors Delight five-year-old, has been an excellent performer for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, and he now has a splendid record of 35 starts for twelve wins, ten seconds and three thirds for stakes of $191,216.
Lucapelo, who enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position, was sent to the front by Gary Hall jnr with 450m to travel. This extended the Michael Young-trained four-year-old’s losing sequence to 16. He is racing with admirable verve and will pay to follow.
The Code Breaker set for Winter Cup
The $50,000 Winter Cup on Friday week is on the agenda for consistent seven-year-old The Code Breaker, who maintained his solid form with a smart victory in the $31,000 Smooth FM Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The veteran Victorian-bred performer was driven for only the fourth time by Aiden de Campo, whose previous results with him resulted in a third at Narrogin on April 27, 2021, a second at Gloucester Park on My 6, 2022, and another second at Gloucester Park on May 12, 2023.
The Code Breaker was an $11 chance from barrier three, with Steel The Show a dominant $1.60 favourite from out wide at barrier No. 6.
The polemarker While They Pray ($5.50) set a fast pace, while de Campo was content to allow The Code Breaker to race comfortably in fifth place in the field of six, three back on the pegs.
Jett Star ($6) raced in the breeze and took a narrow lead 550m from home before Steel The Show, who had enjoyed a perfect trail, one-out and one-back, took a narrow lead 100m from the post. But The Code Breaker finished determinedly to get up in the final few strides to beat Steel The Show by a half-length, rating 1.56.7 over the 2536m journey.
“The way The Code Breaker has been working I gave him a place chance,” said trainer Ryan Bell. “He is an honest horse but sometimes I question whether he is genuine enough. But he was genuine tonight because I thought Aiden pulled out way too early when I thought he should have waited until the furlong (about 200 metres from home) instead of pulling out with about 380m to go.”
The Code Breaker was purchased for $72,500 at the 2018 APG yearling sale in Melbourne, and he now has earned $214,346 from 18 wins and 30 placings from 86 starts.
The Code Breaker is by American Ideal and is the ninth foal out of the Caprock mare Alldatglittersisgold, whose progeny includes star performers Bling It On (100 starts for 49 wins, 24 placings and $1,882,957), Bletchley Park (75 starts for 20 wins, 24 placings and $418,028) and Baby Bling (55 starts for 21 wins, ten placings and $854,490).
Dark Eyes fills in nicely
Veteran trainer Mike Reed was looking forward confidently for a win with Flying Rumour in race ten at Gloucester Park on Friday night, but the five-year-old had to be scratched after being injured in a stable mishap.
However, Reed was compensated when Flying Rumour’s stablemate Dark Eyes filled the breach with a timely victory in race eight, the 1730m Kate Mac For Breakfast Pace.
Dark Eyes, driven by Shannon Suvaljko, was a $5.80 chance who did well to overcome the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line.
Major Overs ($8.50) set a solid pace, while Suvaljko was happy to keep Dark Eyes in eighth position before sending him forward from sixth at the bell, following Elwaddell’s three-wide run. Dark Eyes was switched four wide 350m from home and he ran home strongly to take the lead about 60m from the finish and beat the fast-finishing $14 chance Gee Smith by a half-length.
Dark Eyes is a three-year-old gelding by Bettors Delight and is the second foal out of former outstanding race mare, the New South Wales bred Art Major pacer Our Golden Goddess, who amassed $442,410 in prizemoney from 17 wins and eight placings from 29 starts.
Fourteen of those starts were in New Zealand and resulted in five wins and five placings. Those runs included four seconds in group 1 events and two thirds in group 1 races behind star pacers Lazarus and Waikiki Beach in 2016 and 2017. Then Our Golden Goddess travelled to Australia where she won the group 1 Ladyship Cup at Melton in January 2018.
“Dark Eyes cost $60,000 as a yearling in Melbourne and is a good honest little horse,” said Reed. “I expect him to keep improving and hopefully he will develop into a candidate for the WA Derby in November.” He has had 19 starts for four wins, three placings and $30,815 in prizemoney.
Reed said that Flying Rumour was injured at his Henley Brook stables. “He shied when he was jogging, and the young bloke was tipped out of the cart and the horse galloped around the track before slipping on the concrete in the stables,” he said.
“He fell over and took skin off his rump and had some filling in his nearside hind leg.”
Inwood’s birthday present
Serpentine trainer Giles Inwood has always had a keen eye for a bargain, and he celebrated his 40TH birthday at Gloucester Park on Friday night with an easy win with Firerockfireroll in the Nova 93.7 Pace.
He made no secret of his admiration for Firerockfireroll when the Victorian-bred gelding won five times for trainer Michael Young.
“I asked Michael if I could buy him about 12 months ago, but he wasn’t willing to get rid of the horse,” said Inwood. “But six months later he told me that he had too many horses in work and that I could purchase Firerockfireroll for $10,000.
“So, I bought the horse and syndicated him with Fran Meyer, Dylan Voak, Rick Flint and Ron Sciani. And tonight, they enjoyed his first win for us.”
Firerockfireroll was the $1.20 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier and Chris Voak drove him to an all-the-way victory, winning by just over three lengths from $14 chance Carrera Mach, who followed him all the way.
This gave Mrs Meyer, the mother of recently retired champion cyclist Cameron Meyer, her first win with her first pacer, while Flint unfortunately missed the chance to cheer Firerockfireroll home as he was in laid up hospital suffering from an ear ailment.
Firerockfireroll, an experienced seven-year-old, has now had nine starts for his new owners for a win and three third placings for stakes of $11,046.
Inwood is hopeful that Firerockfireroll will win more races and follow in the footsteps of 11-year-old stablemate Disco Under Fire, who finished seventh behind Firerockfireroll on Friday night when contesting his 224TH race.
Inwood made a wise decision to buy Disco Under Fire for a mere $4000 just over four years ago. Disco Under Fire is still enjoying racing and was a Gloucester Park winner in March this year. He has been an iron horse who has had 128 starts for Inwood for nine wins, 25 placings and $133,492.
Firerockfireroll was having his second start on Friday night after a two-month absence, with Inwood saying: “His legs were a bit of an issue, so I gave him a little break and changed his work, and instead of hoppling him I have been galloping him in the heavy sand.”
Firerockfireroll is certainly bred to be a good winner. He is by former champion pacer Courage Under Fire and is the third foal out of the Grinfromeartoear mare Rocknrolla, who earned $287,351 from 12 wins and seven placings from 27 starts, with her successes including the group 1 Vicbred Super Series finals for two-year-old and three-year-old fillies at Melton.
Firerockfireroll has now raced 62 times for 15 wins, 16 placings and $181,422.
Whataretheodds bucks the odds
Powerful five-year-old pacer Whataretheodds, described by his trainer Ryan Bell as being lucky to be alive, is fit and healthy again and he showed he is set for a successful campaign when he gave a bold frontrunning display to win the 2130m Nathan, Nat and Shaun For Breakfast Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Starting favourite at $1.20 and driven confidently by Aiden de Campo, Whataretheodds dashed over the final 400m in 28sec. and beat $9 chance Linebacker by just over a length, rating 1.57.8 over 2130m.
This was his third appearance after a seven-month absence, following encouraging seconds at his two previous outings.
“He is a good horse, but we have had nothing but health problems with him,” said Bell. “We couldn’t pinpoint the problem, though we thought it was his lungs, and we were told to get him out of the State because WA was no good for horses with bad lungs. He kept having colic attacks and I couldn’t get him to go, so I sent him to Sydney to Luke McCarthy.
“But Luke couldn’t get him healthy. The horse was there for ten months, and he kept getting sick and didn’t even make it to hopple work or trials.
“He returned to WA, and we got him going and he had three starts back (last spring), and they were good runs (a win, a third and a fourth). But then one night after those runs, I heard a ruckus at the stables, and he was having a major colic attack and was half dead.
“He then required surgery when it was discovered that he had worms that were attacking his colon. After surgery he went up to the hills in Gidgegannup where he was put on a diet of oats, horse grow weaner pellets and an iron supplement. He came back jet black and in good health, and we have had no health problems with him since then.”
Whataretheodds, who is raced by a syndicate after Bell purchased him for $25,000 at the 2020 Perth yearling sale, now has had 22 starts for seven wins, seven seconds and one third for stakes of $96,133.
He looks set to shine on the track, following his wonderful early promise when as a two-year-old he finished second to Rock On Top in the Westbred Classic for colts and geldings and second to Tricky Miki in the Golden Slipper.
“It’s only the tough ones who survive,” said Bell, who is planning to run Whataretheodds in the $30,000 Westbred Winter Four And Five-Year-Old Classic next Friday night.
