Wheeler seizes his chance
Outstanding Collie reinsman Trent Wheeler made the most of the opportunity to handle Whataretheodds in the $30,000 www.westsideauto.com.au Four and Five-Year-Old Westbred Winter Restricted Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night by bringing the gelding home with a whirlwind burst to score a superb victory.
A series of circumstances led to Wheeler being engaged to drive the Ryan Bell-trained Whataretheodds for the first time in a race after the talented pacer had been driven by four different drivers at his four previous starts.
Whataretheodds was an outsider at $23.50, mainly due to his unfavourable draw on the outside of the front line in the 2130m event, and Wheeler wisely restrained the gelding at the start before he followed the three-wide run of $6 chance All Is Well in the final circuit.
Whataretheodds was in last position with 380m to travel before Wheeler switched him five and six wide to storm home to win, running away by just under a length from All Is Well and $12 chance Crowd Control, who had taken the lead 40m from the post.
“From barrier nine we knew that Whataretheodds would be back there at the rear,” said Bell. “Trent has been a good mate for a long time, and I’m proud of the team and the horse who has been sick for much of his life.
“He is in good health at the moment, and I’ve been waiting for a long time for him to show the speed that he did as an early two-year-old.”
Five-year-old Whataretheodds, who is raced by a syndicate of 14, has now had 23 starts for eight wins, seven seconds and two thirds for stakes of $113,359.
“He is still on a relatively low mark, and we will take things race by race,” said Bell.
The 39-year-old Wheeler celebrated the victory by driving a double at Narrogin on Saturday night when he was successful with $88.30 outsider Follow Rocknroll and $7.10 chance Honour The Eagle, pacers trained by his father Brian.
Paul Edward, the $2.05 favourite in Friday night’s feature event, disappointed when he set the pace before fading to finish tenth.
Three Rumours is tough
Toughness is the chief ingredient in the make-up of six-year-old mare Three Rumours, who raced three wide for the first 750m and then worked in the breeze before grinding her way to victory in the $27,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She’s tough and made me work hard,” said Emily Suvaljko, who was driving the Nathan Turvey-trained Three Rumours for the first time.
Three Rumours was the $1.70 favourite, but $19 chance Stormyskyes, trained and driven by Shane Steele, made an unexpected bold bid for victory by setting a solid pace with final quarters of 29sec., 28.7sec. and 29.6sec.
Three Rumours clawed her way to the front in the final 20m and won by a half-length from Stormyskyes, with Paroquet ($12) and Little Darling ($11) finishing strongly to be third and fourth, respectively.
“I wasn’t too worried about working out wide for the first lap,” said Suvaljko. “I’d got up there (to the breeze) at our own pace. She was pretty cruisy getting up there, and then she got quite lazy in the breeze.
“I had to pull the plugs with 800m to go because I was a bit concerned that I wasn’t going to catch the leader. Three Rumours travelled up real good down the back, and then on the corner (home bend) the leader kicked away. But the swoopers late in the straight helped us to get to the line. Even in the preliminary tonight every time a horse came to the outside of her, she took off.”
Three Rumours has earned $245,450 from 12 wins, 20 seconds and three thirds.
“She has been in work for quite some time, and we race her fortnightly and don’t do a lot between her runs,” said Turvey. “She will soon have a freshen up before being prepared for the big feature races for mares towards the end of the year.
“She hasn’t got the X factor like three or four of the mares. But she is versatile and can come from behind.”
First win for 30 months
Well-bred six-year-old Star Of Willoughby ended a long drought when he relished his frontrunning role and scored a convincing win in the Westside Auto Service Vehicle Detailing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Follow The Stars gelding, a newcomer to Serpentine trainer Matt Scott’s stables, was a $6.50 chance who mustered plenty of pace from barrier five and was sent to the front after 100m by Shannon Suvaljko after Acoltnamedsu ($23) was smartest into stride.
Gee Smith, a $6.50 chance and a stablemate of Star Of Willoughby, settled at the rear from barrier eight before dashing forward to move to the breeze after 500m.
After a 28.8sec. third quarter of the final mile, Star Of Willoughby went on to win by a length from Acoltnamedsu, with Beyond Bling ($3.90) a close-up third after racing in the one-out, one-back position.
Star Of Willoughby was bred and is owned by Bob Fowler, who sent Queen Of Stars to be trained by Scott last December.
“Queen Of Stars won first-up for me at Busselton on Boxing Day and then won at her next start at Busselton,” said Scott.
“Then Bob rang me about five weeks ago and asked me to take four horses, Star Of Willoughby, Military Star, True Aristocrat and Regimental Star. He told me that my aim would be to get Star Of Willoughby to the $100,000 mark in stakemoney.”
Star Of Willoughby ran second first-up for Scott, and at his fourth start for his new stable his win on Friday night boosted his earnings to $103,366 --- from ten wins and 28 placings from 85 starts.
“I think his future is in Adelaide,” said Scott. “There is a good chance that after another few runs for me Star Of Willoughby will continue his career in South Australia,” said Scott.
A couple of months ago Fowler sent another of his Follow The Stars six-year-olds Per Ardua Ad Astra to Adelaide where trainer Shane Loone won four races from four starts with the gelding in the space of 15 days at Globe Derby Park last month.
Star Of Willoughby’s win on Friday night was his first success for 30 months and ended a losing sequence of 33. He is out of Allamerican Ingot mare Lady Willoughby, who raced 53 times for 16 wins, 14 placings and $167,293.
Lady Willoughby’s half-brother Lord Willoughby earned $409,564 from 43 wins and 76 placings from 246 starts. He won 15 times in WA and went on to win another 28 races in America. Lady Willoughby is out of former star mare Amongst Royalty, who had 86 starts for 23 wins, 27 placings and stakes of $570,820.
Lewis makes a winning move
Smart filly World Secret was locked in on the inside approaching the bell in the $30,000 Westside Auto Financing Westsired Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when champion reinsman Chris Lewis made a winning move by cleverly easing the Kat Warwick-trained pacer off the pegs and forcing the $3.10 second fancy I Cross My Heart out three wide.
The pace was being set by the $1.95 favourite Relatively Arma, and Lewis was then able to gain cover from Manea in the breeze. Lewis bided his time until he switched World Secret three wide with 250m to travel. World Secret then dashed to the front 130m later and went on to win b y a half-length from Relatively Arma.
After a slow lead time of 39.4sec. and ambling opening quarters of 32.7sec. and 30.5sec. the final 400m sections were run in 28.2sec. and 29sec.
“I thought the race with seven runners could be run in single file, and I was hoping that wasn’t going to be,” said Lewis. “It was hard to work out what was going to happen.”
The seven runners settled down in Indian file, with World Secret in fourth position. Manea raced in third place until she moved to the breeze 1050m from home, with I Cross My Heart going forward to gain the ideal trail, one-out and one-back, leaving World Secret hemmed in on the pegs.
“In the home straight racing for the bell I was able to move I Cross My Heart out three wide and we were then in a good position to strike,” said Lewis.
World Secret is by American sire Rock N Roll World and is the first foal out of the Tinted Cloud mare Veiled Secret, who had 49 starts for eight wins, 15 placings and $103,416. Veiled Secret’s dam Sheer Royalty won the WA Oaks in May 2009 and was retired after her 33 starts produced nine wins, seven placings and $248, 904.
American sire to the fore
American stallion Rock N Roll World was represented by six of the nine runners in the $30,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Westsired Pace for three -year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he stole the show as the sire of the first four placegetters.
Arionrock, driven by Dylan Egerton-Green for Bunbury trainer Simone Strachan, was the $4 second favourite who trailed then pacemaker and $2.35 favourite Rockin Le Monde before finishing strongly to win from Worlds Above ($6), Maximum Rock ($4.40) and Rockin Le Monde.
With the polemarker Rockin Le Monde setting the pace, Worlds Above was left in the breeze, with Arionrock enjoying a perfect sit behind the leader.
Trent Wheeler sent Worlds Above to the front 220m from home, but he was unable to hold out Arionrock, who finished with a solid burst to take the lead with 100m to travel.
Arionrock is out of the New South Wales-bred mare Red Hot Mumma (by Albert Albert) who failed to run a place from four starts in NSW as a three-year-old in August 2006 before being retired.
Arionrock is proving a good buy for Yornup businessman Peter Bloxsome, who bought him for $21,000 at the 2022 Perth APG sale. The gelding has now had 26 starts for five wins, four placings and $50,476 in stakes as well as many more thousands of dollars in bonus payments.
Bloxsome has also won two races at Pinjarra this year with four-year-old Yankie Kev, and he is a proud part-owner of the brilliant mare Wonderful To Fly.
“Arionrock is not much bigger than a pony trotter, but he tries hard,” said Mrs Strachan. “He has a good sprint if he is held up. We will now try him in the heats of the Westbred Classic.”
McDonald set for a century
New Zealand-born reinsman Stuart McDonald enjoyed an armchair drive to land $1.30 favourite Coney Island Lou an easy winner of the $21,000 Westside Auto Service Tyre and Rims Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and he looks set for a century of winners this season.
On Saturday night at Narrogin McDonald scored a double with Velocipede and Lucapelo to take his record in 2024 to 73 winners from 406 drives, and he is firmly on target to better his best season in harness racing --- 82 winners from 682 drives in the 2015-16 season.
Coney Island Lou, trained by Gary Hall snr, remains unbeaten after two appearances in Australia, and he looks set for many more wins. He has earned $94,666 from ten wins and 11 placings from 29 starts.
Coney Island Lou began from the No. 2 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event, and after a smart lead time of 36.8sec. he was not extended in leading all the way and beating the $6 second fancy Sorridere by just under a length, rating 1.56.7 after final 400m sections of 28.5sec. and 28.2sec.
Our Maestoso is just too good
Lightly-raced square gaiter Our Maestoso maintained his outstanding form for Busselton owner-trainer Barry Howlett when Chris Lewis drove him to victory in the 2536m Sell Your Car at Westside Auto Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred five-year-old now has raced 18 times for 14 wins and three placings for stakes of $125,327.
Our Maestoso began from the No. 6 barrier and Lewis sent him forward in a bid for the lead. But when he was trapped out four wide Lewis wisely restrained him and he settled down in sixth position, one-out and two-back as Abundance and then Line The Starzzz set the pace.
Lewis sent Our Maestoso forward in the back straight in the final circuit and the gelding got on terms with Line The Starzzz 420m from home before he took a clear lead in the home straight and won by 1m from $81 outsider Dark Secret, who was seventh at the bell before finishing with a spirited burst.
“He wasn’t quite 100 per cent and we had to be patient,” said Lewis, with the win giving him the second leg of a double, after having scored with World Secret in the previous event.
The Miki Taker takes the next step
WA-bred The Miki Taker showed that he will be a worthy candidate in upcoming open-class events when he was successful at his first attempt in top company, scoring an impressive victory in the $31,000 Westside Auto Fixed Price Servicing Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Tonight, he’s done the job, sitting up,” said trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo.
“I think that when he is up in grade he travels better on a helmet (with a trail). Driven in that capacity he needs things to go his way. He showed tonight that he is up with them.”
The Miki Taker has been a consistent performer since he won the group 1 Pearl Classic as a two-year-old in June 2021, and he now has earned $269,508 from 13 wins and 17 placings from 43 starts.
He was a $6.30 chance from the No. 6 barrier and De Campo did not bustle him early and was content to settle down in sixth position in the one-wide line while $7 chance Hampton Banner was bowling along in his customary role as pacemaker.
Jett Star ($3.70) raced in the breeze, and nine-year-old Mighty Conqueror, the $3.50 favourite at his first appearance for 12 months, enjoyed an ideal sit in the one-out, one-back position.
Deni Roberts eased Mighty Conqueror three wide with 450m to travel, and De Campo followed that pacer all the way. Mighty Conqueror took a narrow lead in the straight, but The Miki Taker carried too many guns and got to the front in the closing stages to win by a neck, rating 1.56.1 over the 2130m trip, with final quarters of 29.2sec. and 28.3sec.
Mighty Conqueror’s cause was not helped by a flat tyre which was punctured about 400m from home.
Ruby Lou set for Diamond Classic
Two-year-old filly Ruby Lou is improving her manners with every start, and she will be set for the $100,000 Diamond Classic on August 9 after impressing her trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Shannon Suvaljko with a striking victory in the 1730m Westside Auto Wholesale Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ruby Lou was at the surprisingly good odds as a $10.20 chance in the field of six in which Ruby Lovera dominated the betting as a hot $1.65 favourite from the No. 2 barrier.
However, Suvaljko stole a march on his rivals by firing out Ruby Lou from the No. 56 barrier with a sparkling burst of speed to surge straight to the front.
After comfortable opening quarters of 30.6sec. and 30.8sec. Ruby Lou gave her rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 28.5sec. to win by a half-length from the fast-finishing Jaxs Ideal, rating 1.57.5.
Ruby Lou had put the writing on the wall on Tuesday night when she ran home with a strong burst from sixth at the bell to finish a neck second to speedy colt Noble Thorandor.
“It was a 2130m race on Tuesday against the colts, and there was a lot of speed there, so we went back,” said Suvaljko. “Ruby Lou is probably better going back over 2130m, and that run was beneficial for her over 1730m tonight.
“Once she led tonight, she was going to be hard to beat. She is going better every time she goes around. She is geared up perfectly now, and on Tuesday night she was really good as she drove inside and outside of horses and ran on well.”
Reed said that Ruby Lou was hard to handle in her early days. “She was a nut case who pulled hard and wouldn’t relax,” he said. “She is settling down and has speed which is the main thing.”
Ruby Lou, purchased for $80,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale, has raced nine times for three wins and a second placing for stakes of $25,827.
Navy Street takes charge
When Navy Street was challenged strongly for the lead by Bettor Move Along in the early stages of the 2130m Westside Auto Service Paint and Panel Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, Emily Suvaljko was keen to surrender the lead and take a sit.
But her plans were thwarted by Navy Street, who was in no mood to be restrained.
Navy Street, a $12.10 chance, began speedily from the No. 3 barrier, but it took him 220m to get past the No. 2 horse Deeorse ($51) before being challenged by $21 chance Bettor Move Along.
“I really had to run Navy Street hard to get to the front and I was concerned that I had done too much, so I looked to take cover behind Bettor Move Along,” Suvaljko said. “But Navy Street didn’t want to hand up, and he must have been telling me that he was better in front.”
So, Navy Street maintained his lead, with the $2.10 favourite Benji in the breeze and Bettor Move Along gaining a good sit in the one-out, one-back position.
“I was a bit concerned with a lap to go when Navy Street knocked off a bit,” said Suvaljko. “So, I flicked him on the tail, and he took off.”
Navy Street went on and covered the final quarters in 29.3sec. and 28.7sec. to win easily by two lengths from Deeorse, who trailed the pacemaker throughout.
Navy Street, who is owned and trained by Karen Thompson, ended a losing sequence of nine and boosted his career record to 55 starts for 12 wins, 12 placings and stakes of $103,704.
Rock Me Over is a marvel
“He’s a real marvel,” said part-owner and trainer Matt Scott after veteran pacer Rock Me Over had shocked him by winning the 2130m Westside Auto Service Now Open Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I was disgusted with his run the previous Friday (when a wilting fourth, more than five lengths behind the winner Whataretheodds). He had had two weeks between runs, and he looked like he had the hopples on for the first time. He couldn’t hold the back of the horse in front of him down the back straight.
“He was too fat after the race, so I decided to work him much harder, and last Tuesday I got my seven-year-old son Levi, at home on school holidays, to sit in the sulky with me while I jogged the horse.
“I’m a hundred kilos and Levi is 30, and I wanted to make the horse work hard with extra weight in the cart when jogging on our sand track. I didn’t expect the horse to win tonight, and I thought he would need three runs to get back to his best, and that’s whey I’m starting him in a race at Gloucester Park on Tuesday.”
Rock Me Over was a $22.90 chance from the outside (barrier two) on the back line on Friday night when Shannon Suvaljko had him travelling easily three back on the pegs in fifth position with Medieval Man ($4.40) setting the pace and the $2.60 favourite Rascal in the breeze after beginning fast but failing in a concerted bid to get to the front.
Rock Me Over was badly hampered for room approaching the home turn before Suvaljko angled him into the clear with about 150m to travel. He sprinted strongly, took the lead 70m from the post and won by 5m from $41 outsider Lord Titanium, who had taken the lead on the home turn after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Rock Me Over, who rated 1.57.9, ended a losing sequence of 27, stretching back to October 21, 2022 --- a historic night at Gloucester Park when Gary Hall jnr became the first driver to land seven winners at a meeting in the State.
Hall’s seventh winner came in the final event when Rock Me Over was having his 185TH start in a race following a seventh placing, two ninths and two tenths at his five previous starts.
Hall, whose previous drive behind Rock Me Over was 69 starts earlier in the gelding’s career, weaved his magic as he lit up a wet and miserable night with his remarkable skill, flair and ingenuity in the sulky.
Rock Me Over was out of action for 12 months after suffering a hind leg suspensory injury in April 2023, and on Friday night he was having his tenth start in his current campaign.
This was the small nine-year-old’s 213TH start and the victory took his record to 26 wins and 65 placings for $412,074 in stakes. He showed early promise as a two-year-old, winning three races and finishing second to the brilliant Jack Mac in the Pearl Classic in June 2017.
He is by American sire Rock N Roll Heaven and is out of the Perfect Art mare Benjor Maddy Lombo, who managed three wins, 12 placings and $21,510 from 34 starts before producing eight winners, including 2017 WA Derby winner Handsandwheels, who retired with earnings of $707,393 from 29 wins and 33 placings from 102 starts.
After Rock Me Over had raced 46 times for eleven wins Scott and faithful stable clients Tony Maguire and his son Ian purchased the gelding in February 2019 for $6000. Now, in 167 starts for his new owners Rock Me Over has earned $286,522 from 15 wins, 29 seconds and 23 thirds.
He certainly is a true marvel.
