Mister Smartee overcomes early scare
Few pacers in recent years have warmed up for the WA Pacing Cup in such commanding fashion as has harness racing’s latest superstar Mister Smartee, who overcame an early scare before romping to victory in the $100,000 Trotsynd J. P. Stratton Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Mister Smartee, prepared by master trainer Gary Hall snr, is the $1.85 favourite on the TABtouch market for the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup to be run over 2536m next Friday week.
The lightly-raced and inexperienced New Zealand-bred four-year-old dominates betting on the big race in which his six-year-old stablemate Jumpingjackmac and the visiting eastern states star Captain Ravishing share second favouritism at $7, with Minstrel at $8.50, Lavra Joe at $9, Tenzing Bromac at $9.50 and Pinny Tiger at $10.
From the No. 2 barrier on the front line in Friday night’s group 2 Stratton Cup, Mister Smartee began so speedily that his nose touched the mobile barrier arm, causing the gelding to pace roughly for a few strides as he was being tackled fiercely by the $4.40 second fancy Pinny Tiger.
Mister Smartee, driven hard by Gary Hall jnr, resisted the challenge and settled down in front after Pinny Tiger had led by a half-length before breaking under pressure 250m after the start.
Hall then restrained Mister Smartee, who dawdled through the opening 400m section of the final mile in 32.7sec. and coasted through the second quarter in 30.6sec. before sprinting over the final quarters in 28.2sec. and 27sec. He won by just over a length from $51 chance Jumpingjackmac, who raced in the breeze for much of the way and fought on grandly.
Mighty Ronaldo ($8.50) trailed Mister Smartee throughout and was hampered for room in the home straight before finishing third, a half-head behind Jumpingjackmac.
“I thought I had timed the start perfectly,” said Hall jnr. “But we got too close to the mobile barrier and Mister Smartee got a bit rough. It was good to see how he was able to balance and show the acceleration to get to the front.
“He then got a bit keen, and that was probably me making him go too slowly. I knew he had spent a lot early, and I wanted to give him the easiest time I could.”
Before the race Hall snr was extremely confident that Pinny Tiger would be unable to muster sufficient speed to outpace Mister Smartee at the start.
“I know that Mister Smartee got away with murder tonight,” he said. “It’s hard to come back and run a 32.7sec. quarter after burning early --- and then run fast sectionals at the end of the race.
“Nothing will beat Mister Smartee in the Pacing Cup if he leads. His main aim after the Cup will be the Golden Nugget (on December 13). He might run in the Four-Year-Old Classic a fortnight before the Nugget.”
Hall snr now has trained the winner of the Stratton Cup a record eight times, while Hall jnr has won the race a record six times as a driver.
Mister Smartee has amassed $288,246 in prizemoney from his 13 wins from 15 starts.
Thenu Came Along arrives in time
Smart gelding Thenu Came Along made a powerful late bid to earn a start in the $200,000 WA Derby next Friday night when he gave a sample of his class with a runaway win in the $21,000 Vale Hubert Tucker Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Thenu Came Along, the $1.70 favourite, survived a hectic battle for the early lead and then set a solid pace before careering away from his rivals to win by more than five lengths from the $5.50 second fancy Menemsha, rating 1.56.4 over 2130m.
“I think he has proved his point and deserves a start in the Derby, said Deni Roberts who drove the Greg and Skye Bond-trained pacer assertively.
Thenu Came Along began from the No. 1 barrier and was beaten for early speed by Atlantic Gem ($7.50) and Ideal Muscle ($10). But neither three-year-old was able to cross to the front, even after Atlantic Gem was a length in front, out three wide, in the early stages.
The fast lead time of 36.3sec. was followed by opening quarters of 30.9sec. and 30.1sec. before Thenu Came Along dashed over the final 800m in 56.8sec.
“He has come into top form and has been getting stronger with every run,” said Roberts. “Earlier, he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did tonight.”
Thenu Came Along is by champion sire Bettors Delight and is the fifth foal out of Art Major mare Arconite. He was purchased by Team Bond and Rob Gartrell’s Running Camel Pty Ltd for $85,000 at the 2022 APG Perth yearling sale. He has now earned $69,776 from six wins and seven placings from 25 starts.
Thenu Came Along should give the Bond stable a strong hand in the Derby, along with stablemates Christopher Dance, Tualou, Golden Lode and Vegas Strip.
Big night for Prentice and Mitchell
When Mitch Miller drove $31.70 outsider Soho Seraphine to victory in the Trotsynd Pacing To Victory Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night it completed a successful meeting for the combination of Miller and astute trainer Kim Prentice.
Earlier, Miller and Prentice combined to win the Trotsynd Syndication Pace with Soho Dow Jones ($3.70), and they notched second placings with Soho Moonraker ($11) in race one and Soho Santorini in ($15) in race two, and fifth with Soho Skyfall ($126) in race three, in which Prentice’s other runners Jimmy Rocks ($91) finished third, and Soho Honey Rider ($41) was seventh.
Soho Seraphine, a noted frontrunner, went into Friday night’s event with a losing sequence of seven, and she was smartest to begin from barrier three but was unable to cross to the front, with the polemarker My Ultimate Chevron ($12) holding up and also keeping out $26 chance Stormyskyes, who began fast from barrier seven.
Miller was quick to size up the situation and he took full advantage of the gap which opened up behind My Ultimate Chevron by angling Soho Seraphine across to the pegs to follow the pacemaker.
The Miki Taker, the $1.40 favourite from barrier six, enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position, following Stormyskyes, who dashed to the front with 450m to travel. Mitchell then eased Soho Seraphine off the pegs and the four-year-old mare ran home strongly to get to the front 110m from the post and hold on and beat The Miki Taker by a nose, rating 1.57.5 over the 2130m journey, after final quarters of 28.3sec. and 28.9sec.
Miller attributed much of Soho Seraphine’s return to form to Prentice’s recent decision to increase the mare’s workload. “We were tossing up whether to put her in the paddock when Kim decided to work her much harder,” he said.
“Kim has been working her twice as hard lately, and hopefully tonight’s effort was a step forward to getting her back to her Melbourne form.
“I was a little unhappy when we were unable to get to the front early, but when I lobbed on to the leader’s back, I was happy.”
Soho Seraphine is by American sire Betting Line and is the first foal out of Mach Three mare Angel Bromac, who was retired after 14 starts for four wins, five placings and $56,500 in WA in 2016-17. Angel Bromac finished second to Lady Luca in the group 1 Diamond Classic in June 2016 and was second to Maczaffair in the group 3 Gold Bracelet the following month.
Soho Seraphine looks set for many more wins. She has raced 40 times for ten wins, 16 placings and $239,656 in prizemoney. She has raced 22 times in Victoria for five wins and 13 placings, six times in New South Wales for two wins and one placing and 12 times in WA for three wins and two placings.
Jawsoflincoln back with a vengeance
The much-travelled five-year-old Jawsoflincoln bounced back to top form at his second appearance after a seven-month absence when he revealed splendid fighting qualities to work hard in the breeze before finishing powerfully to score an easy win in the 1730m Trotsynd #Winnerswin Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a performance which delighted Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, who is considering nominating the New South Wales-bred pacer for the $50,000 Navy Cup next Friday night, providing he pulls up well after his victory.
“There was a very strong headwind in the home straight, and I was impressed with the way Jawsoflincoln ran away from his rivals after sitting parked (in the breeze),” said Prentice.
Prentice said that Jawsoflincoln did not race for seven months because he wanted to give the horse plenty of time to recover after pulling up sore following his disappointing effort in fading to finish last in the Pinjarra Cup early in March this year.
“He jarred up badly, so we decided to give him a decent spell to get over that,” said Pentice. “He is a nice horse, and I like him. I’ll consider nominating him for the Navy Cup.”
Jawsoflincoln, who ran home strongly to win the 1730m Nights Of Thunder last January, was the $2.10 favourite from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night when he paced roughly at the start while Aiden de Campo got $51 outsider Dominus Factum away to a flying start from barrier six to take up the running from the polemarker and $3.10 second fancy Goodfellaz.
Jawsoflincoln was then left in the breeze, and he showed excellent fighting qualities to get to the front on the home turn and race way to beat Dominus Factum by two lengths, rating 1.55.3 after final quarters of 28.5sec. and 28.3sec.
Goodfellaz, who overraced behind the frontrunning Dominus Factum, was hampered for room in the final stages and finished eighth.
“Jawsoflincoln has a big motor, and he sprinted home well,” said Hall jnr. “And I was surprised with the way he cleared out like that.”
Jawsoflincoln is by Art Major and is the 12TH and best foal out of the American-bred mare Lincoln Room, who had 41 starts for four wins, eight placings and $33,384. Jawsoflincoln has earned $159,814 from 18 wins and nine placings from 43 starts.
Friday night’s win took his WA record to seven starts for two wins and a second placing. He was placed at one of his four NSW starts, his ten Victorian appearances yielded two wins and two placings, and he shone in South Australia where his 22 starts produced 14 wins and five placings.
Soho Dow Jones is maturing
“He has always been a bit of a weirdo, with probably more ability than he has shown,” said Mitch Miller after driving Soho Dow Jones to an easy win in the $23,000 Trotsynd Syndication Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“But he has really come on this year and has matured a lot,” said Miller.
“Soho Dow Jones led a couple of starts ago when he probably should have won and ran a disappointing fourth. And then last week he raced in the breeze and probably should have run last, but he ran a good fourth. Tonight, he had the perfect trip and was good enough.”
Soho Dow Jones, trained by Kim Prentice, was the $3.70 third favourite from the No. 2 barrier, with the polemarker The Code Breaker, unplaced at his previous eleven starts, the $2.65 favourite.
The Code Breaker set the pace, with Alcopony ($2.80) in the breeze, and Soho Dow Jones enjoying a perfect trail behind the leader. The Code Breaker ran the third quarter of the final mile in 28.3sec. before wilting in the home straight when Soho Dow Jones dashed to the front and won by almost two lengths from $10 chance Street Hawk, who finished strongly from last at the bell. The Code Breaker held on to finish third.
Soho Dow Jones, who won the group 2 Vicbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Bendigo in October 2021, has been a good money spinner for his breeder and owner Rob Watson, having earned $244,794 from 16 wins and 17 placings from 68 starts. He is by American Ideal and is the second foal out of Art Major mare Soho New York, who had 27 starts for ten wins, four placings and $65,710.
Thomson Bay ends losing run
Bargain pacer Thomson Bay ended a losing sequence of 18 when he gave a spirited frontrunning display to win the 2130m Trotsynd Join The Fun Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Stuart McDonald took full advantage of the No. 1 barrier by setting the pace with Thomson Bay, the $3.60 third favourite, who was not extended in beating $34 chance Name In Lights by just under a length, rating 1.57.4 over 2130m.
“His recent form hasn’t been his absolute best, but we wanted to see where he’s at,” said McDonald. “The barrier and being out in front suited him.
“Having the main dangers Magnus Victor ($1.95) and Chivalry ($3.20) off the bit in the back straight was good, and I wasn’t too concerned at having Name In Lights trailing us. After the first half (61.2sec.) I was confident, and he won with a little bit left.”
Thomson Bay is prepared by Coolup trainer Hayden Reeves, who was at Bunbury on Friday night with a team of eight pacers. Thomson Bay was brought to Gloucester Park by Kim Prentice.
Reeves has no regrets at paying $1000 for Thomson Bay after the pacer had finished a dismal last on debut as a two-year-old at Pinjarra in June 2019. Since then, Thomson Bay has had 64 starts for Reeves for earnings of $150,652 from 15 wins and 13 placings.
Thomson Bay is by former champion pacer Mr Feelgood, who won 39 races and $3.3 million in stakes. He is the only foal out of Rich And Spoilt mare Geordie Bay.
Hold That Gold holds on
Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop continued his outstanding run of successes with five-year-old Hold That Gold when he won the Trotsynd Supports JP Pacing Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night in a thrilling three-way photo finish.
But the victory did not come without some anxious moments in the home straight when the pacemaking Hold That Gold, the $2.30 favourite, appeared to falter in the final few strides after appearing certain to win easily when he was a clear leader on the home turn.
“He switched off as though he was looking for some friends,” explained driver Deni Roberts. “But when he saw them, he picked up and went again.”
The photo finish revealed that Hold That Gold had won by a head from $16 chance Sellune, with Nickys Son ($14) a nose away in third place.
Hold That Gold revealed his customary sparking gate speed to burst straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier, and then he led comfortably from the hard-pulling $151 outsider Sky Eagle in the breeze.
Marengo Bay, the $2.70 second favourite, raced in the one-out, one-back position until he began a three-wide burst with 900m to travel. He quickly moved to the breeze but broke into a bad gallop 450m from home and he dropped back to finish sixth in the field of seven.
“Hold That Gold will now have a fortnight off,” said Mellsop, who said that the gelding’s gate speed was his main asset.
Hold That Gold won at three of his 28 starts in Victoria before arriving in Western Australia where his 17 starts for Mellsop have produced nine wins and four seconds to take his career record to 45 starts for 12 wins, nine seconds and two thirds for stakes of $100,618. He is by American sire Angus Hall and is out of Hold That Grin, who finished second in the New South Wales Trotters Oaks at Menangle in May 2012 before being retired with earnings of $27,813 from three wins and ten placings from 24 starts.
Our Sandy Shore returns in style
Talented four-year-old mare Our Sandy Shore returned to racing at Gloucester Park on Friday night in fine style after performing extremely well at Pinjarra at her previous eight starts.
Trained by Colin Brown and driven confidently by his daughter Maddison, Our Sandy Shore was a $7 chance from the No. 3 barrier in the $21,000 Trotsynd Register Your Interest Pace, in which she set a brisk pace and fought on grandly to win by a half-length from the $3.10 favourite Peaceful.
Peaceful, driven by Jocelyn Young, began from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and she raced three wide for the first lap before moving to the breeze and then applying plenty of pressure on the pacemaking Our Sandy Shore. Peaceful got on terms with Our Sandy Shore 250m from home but Our Sandy Shore proved too strong in the closing stages.
“It was okay having a bit of pressure because Our Sandy Shore can switch off,” said Maddison Brown. “I’ll drive her a bit more conservatively when she goes up in grade.”
Our Sandy Shore is by Sunshine Beach and is the third foal out of the New Zealand-bred mare Winter Strike, who raced 31 times for four wins, three placings and $25,385. Our Sandy Shore, who finished second to August Moon in the group 2 Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies in September 2023, has earned $92,011 from eight wins and 12 placings from 30 starts.
Winter Strike’s full-brother Bettor’s Strike was retired with a record of 77 starts for 16 wins, 26 placings and $890,201. After finishing a neck second to Monkey King in the 3200m New Zealand Cup in November 2009 he won the group 2 Cranbourne Cup, the group 1 Tasmanian Cup at Elwick and the group 1 $400,000 Victoria Cup at Melton when he beat Smoken Up and Blacks A Fake.
Love On The Rocks repays Hall’s faith
Persistent problems with a damaged tendon resulted in Love On The Rocks having only three starts in WA for champion trainer Gary Hall snr in 29 months after arriving from New Zealand in Australia in May 2022.
Hall’s perseverance and his faith in the gelding is at last paying dividends. Love On The Rocks reappeared this month after a 12-month absence, and his impressive victory in the 2130m Trotsynd Group 1 Winners Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night at his third start in his current campaign showed that there are more wins in store for the seven-year-old.
“After he arrived in WA a scan revealed that he had a damaged tendon,” said Hall. “So, I put him out, and when he came back after four months, he had a couple of runs and went okay (with a win and two placings at Gloucester Park).
“But he then went sore again, so I turned him out and waited to give him one last chance. And he has come back in good shape.”
Love On The Rocks was a heavily-supported $1.40 favourite from the No. 2 barrier on Friday night when Gary Hall jnr got him away smartly, and he relished his pacemaking role and won by two lengths from $15 chance Soho Santorini, rating 1.56 over 2130m, with final 400m sections of 27.2sec. and 29.1sec.
“He has always shown us that he is a horse with above average ability,” said Hall.
Love On The Rocks raced 37 times in New Zealand for seven wins, ten placings and $71,918. His six WA starts have produced two wins and two placings.
He is by New Zealand sire Terror To Love and is the fourth foal out of the unraced Badlands Hanover mare Uroc.
A long time between drinks
Pinjarra hobby trainer Leeann Lee celebrated her second victory in a metropolitan-class event at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Sweet Lucifer scored an impressive win in the $21,000 Trotsynd Pace over 2130m --- 35 years after her initial triumph.
It was in 1989 when Kim Young drove Lee’s first city winner --- Scott’s Finale, and now she is more than happy that she purchased Sweet Lucifer for $7500 about five months ago.
Sweet Lucifer, the $5.20 second favourite, was driven perfectly by Donald Harper and won by a length and a half from the fast-finishing $11 chance Soho Moonraker, rating 1.55.5.
The Wildcard ($81) was smartest into stride from barrier three and he led for the first 100m before Hail Saint Louie ($11) got to the front, out three wide, but was foiled in his bid to get to the front, with Harper kicking up with Sweet Lucifer, one wide, to take up the running.
The lead time was a quick 35.6sec. and Sweet Lucifer then reeled off quarters of 29.7sec., 29.1sec., 29.2sec. and 29.3sec. With 300m to travel Hale Saint Louie locked sulky wheels with Soho Moonraker, with both pacers losing valuable ground. Soho Moonraker did a splendid job in surging home with a spirited late burst.
Sweet Lucifer, a four-year-old gelding by Sweet Lou, and the third foal out of the Modern Art mare Harriet Elisabeth, was purchased by Mardella trainer Michael Young for $25,000 at the 2021 Perth APG yearling sale --- and his 20 starts for young produced two wins and 12 placings.
However, the small and slightly-built Sweet Lucifer was extremely temperamental and causing Young many problems.
“I hated him, and he hated me,” said Young. “He had to go, so I advertised him for sale early this year. He pulled, he had bad feet, and he was always going sore.”
Lee had watched Sweet Lucifer racing and took a liking to him. “He was advertised for ages, and they wanted $12,000 for him,” said Lee’s husband Rick. “The price kept dropping and we got him for $7500.
“Leeann always loves a challenge, and she has spent a lot of time trying to calm him down. She was taking him to the beach all through the winter, standing in the water with him to help his feet and his body in general.
“Sweet Lucifer has really flat feet and he bruises badly, and he races with pads on all four feet. I drive him in trackwork, and he also works a lot on the jogger, and our daughter Gemma also gallops him on the beach.”
Sweet Lucifer has filled the gap left by the retirement late last year of the family’s handy pacer Diamond Daze, who won nine races and was placed another 14 times, earning $68,581 from 63 starts.
Sweet Lucifer looks set for a bright career. For Leeann Lee he has had eight starts for four wins and four seconds for stakes of $33,797. He is following in the footsteps of his elder half-brothers, Orlando Blue (80 starts for 18 wins, 20 placings and $217,597) and the multiple group 1 winner Tricky Miki (34 starts for 13 wins, ten placings and $541,923).
