Justcallmemiki excites Roberts
Outstanding four-year-old Justcallmemiki has not been extended in winning at his first four starts at Gloucester Park, prompting his driver Deni Roberts to declare that she simply does not know how good he is.
Justcallmemiki, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, was the $1.20 favourite when he raced wide early from barrier seven and then worked in the breeze before coasting to a most impressive victory over $12 chance and pacemaker Longreach Bay in the $25,000 Your One Stop Shop Is At Garrard’s Horse And Hound Autumn Series final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I thought I wouldn’t get to the front and obviously Justcallmemiki was going to do the hard work,” said Roberts. “I haven’t found the bottom of him yet and it’s hard to say how good he is.
“Tonight was going to be his next test, and he handled it quite comfortably and didn’t mind the breeze at all. The times he has just run and how easily he did it is pretty exciting.”
Justcallmemiki, who has earned $102,826 from eight wins and two placings from 16 starts, is being set for the rich events for four-year-olds later this year, including the Golden Nugget. There is a remote possibility that he could be taken by a slot holder to contest the $1.25 million Nullarbor on April 25.
His prospects for the Golden Nugget improved when Roberts revealed that his classy stablemate and 2024 WA Derby winner Christopher Dance had been sold to American interests to do his future racing in the United States.
Justcallmemiki took the lead 200m from home and won by a length from Longreach Bay, rating 1.55 after final 400m sections of 28.6sec. and 27.8sec.
Dalvey Robyn overcomes outside barrier
Speedy seven-year-old Dalvey Robyn overcame the distinct disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) after daring tactics from his trainer and driver Gary Hall jnr paved the way for his smart victory in the $27,000 Call Garrard’s Horse And Hound For All Your Equine Needs Pace over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Dalvey Robyn, the $5.30 second favourite, settled down in sixth position in the one-wide line before Hall seized the initiative by sending the New Zealand-bred gelding forward, three wide, after 400m to move to the breeze with the $2.60 favourite Rocknrollartist setting the pace.
Dalvey Robyn forged to the front on the home turn and won by a length from $7 chance My Ultimate Chevron, who trailed the leader all the way.
“I was a bit worried that going forward early could result in being wide for a long time,” said Hall. “But luckily, we got across (to the breeze) pretty comfortably. He is a rolli9ng stayer and had his ears pricked the whole way and was happy to be out there.
“His best asset is his point-to-point speed, but you don’t get to use that very often when you have drawn number nine, and it was good to see him make his own luck.”
Dalvey Robyn has won at four of his 13 starts for Hall, taking his career record to 61 starts for 13 wins, 16 seconds, nine thirds and $174,777 in prizemoney.
While Hall was more than happy with Dalvey Robyn’s victory, he was upset at losing his stablemate Ventura, who did not survive after fracturing a shoulder during trackwork earlier in the week.
Ventura, a New Zealand-bred six-year-old, had raced 37 times for 13 wins, ten placings and $134,610, with his 22 WA starts producing eleven wins and five placings.
He was driven by Stuart McDonald when he broke down during trackwork at the Hall family’s Serpentine property.
“Ventura slowed right down and then fell,” said Hall. “He couldn’t save him. I was working Mister Smartee in front, and Ventura was following. Usually, we let Ventura lead, so it was fortunate that he wasn’t leading, with Mister Smartee right behind him. He was a lovely horse.”
Early setback fails to stop Magnus Victor
Magnus Victor maintained his purple patch of form when he recovered from an early setback to score a dashing victory in the $31,000 Garrard’s Westbred Autumn Restricted Pace for four and five-year-olds over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $3.10 second favourite from out wide at barrier seven and his supporters moaned when he nudged the arm of the mobile barrier and broke into a fierce gallop, losing six lengths and settling down in eighth position while the polemarker and $1.80 favourite Thelittle Master ambled through the lead time in 38.3sec. and the opening quarter in a slow 31sec.
With the slow early pace in-form young reinsman Joey Suvaljko wasted no time in dashing Magnus Victor forward with a three-wide burst after 600m and moving to the breeze with 1400m to travel.
Magnus Victor got on terms with Thelittle Master at the 500m before getting to the front 250m later and going on to win by just over a length from his stablemate Ideal Muscle ($20), who was eighth at the bell before surging home out four wide.
Princess Katie ($14) was third after trailing the leader all the way, while Thelittle Master wilted to finish fifth.
“Magnus Victor is a funny horse going up to the gate, and we were up there early and timed the gate wrong,” said Suvaljko. “Up the straight I thought our stablemate was going to get me again,” referring to a race the previous Friday night when Magnus Victor was beaten by a nose by the fast-finishing Menemsha.
Trainer Aiden De Campo was delighted with the quinella result, saying: “It was a super run by Magnus Victor the previous week when I thought it was near career-best, and he’s probably gone career-best tonight.
“It gave me a bit of a flutter when he galloped at the start tonight. Then he got down, pacing well, and Joey put him in the race at the right time. Magnus Victor will match up with them in Free-For-Alls, and he has a lot of high speed which is good.
“He has taken the next step in this preparation. He always comes back better after a spell, with the family tending to do that.”
Magnus Victor has earned $183,078 from 16 wins and 20 placings from 58 starts.
Kurious Boy comes from last
WA-bred four-year-old Kurious Boy has resumed after a spell in fine form, and he impressed with his stylish last-to-first victory in the$23,000 Garrard’s At Gloucester Park Westbred Pace over 2130m at headquarters on Friday night.
Part-owned and trained by Kevin Keys, Kurious Boy was the $2.60 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, and reinsman Gary Hall jnr bided his time at the rear of the field while $6 chance Money Time Madness was setting the pace after flying out from the No. 8 barrier to charge straight to the front.
Kurious Boy was last 900 metres from home before Hall urged him forward with a three-wide burst which saw him take the lead 220m from home before winning by a half-length from $4 chance Miss Uneek, who fought on valiantly after racing in the breeze over the final 1200m.
This was Kurious Boy’s second win at his second appearance after resuming from a spell. “This time in he has got a bit stronger, and he has found a bit more speed,” said Keys. “I’m not surprised that he was able to come from last to win, following the way he has been working.
“Gary said that he couldn’t believe how well Kurious Boy was travelling; and the horse did it easily. There is a similar race for four-year-olds next Friday.”
Kurious Boy is by American sire Rock N Roll World and is out of Sportswriter mare Kurious, who was trained by Keys throughout her career of 47 starts for five wins, 12 placings and $54,340. Hall drove Kurious at four of her wins in 2015 and 2016.
He was driving Kurious Boy for the first time on Friday night since he was in the sulky for two unplaced runs as a two-year-old in 2023. Kurious Boy now has earned $46,447 from four wins and five placings from 26 starts.
Franco Ecuador holds on
Lightly-raced veteran pacer Franco Ecuador has endured a chequered career, but he is still paying his way with a narrow win in the $31,000 Garrard’s Service With Integrity Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This followed an easy win at Pinjarra eleven days earlier, and it improved his record to 32 starts for eleven wins, seven placings and $137,080.
The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old won easily at his first two starts, as a three-year-old at Pinjarra in December 2019, before his stop-start career of four starts for one win in 2020, no appearances in 2021, three starts for two wins and a second in 2022, no starts in 2023, 13 starts for four wins and three placings in 2024, and ten starts in 2025 for two wins and two placings.
Franco Ecuador, trained by Kim Prentice, had two extended breaks from racing as he recovered from a fractured pastern as a three-year-old (after finishing third behind Patronus Star and Major Martini in the WA Derby) and a damaged off fore suspensory ligament later.
Franco Ecuador was the $1.90 favourite from barrier three on Friday night when he was smartest to begin in the six-horse field and then strolled through the lead time in 39.1sec. and was untroubled to saunter through the opening 400m sections in 30.9sec. and 29.5sec. before increasing the tempo with final quarters of 27.5sec. and 28.2sec.
He held on to win by a half-head from the $3.10 second favourite Spyglass, who charged home with a late burst after enjoying a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position for most of the way.
“Franco Ecuador is getting long in the tooth and is not the horse he once was,” said reinsman Mitch Miller. “He should have been able to win on the bridle tonight after what he got away with early.”
Originally, Franco Ecuador appeared to be facing a tough task against smart mare Montana Glory, but unfortunately, she was unable to contest the race after fractures in two of her legs ended her life earlier in the week.
“Montana Glory fractured her offside pastern during a workout at Gloucester Park on Wednesday morning,” said her trainer Mike Reed.
“We took her to the vet, and she had a pin inserted. But when she came out of the operation after the anaesthetic wore off, she panicked and ran backwards and fractured near nearside hind leg, and she couldn’t be saved.” Montana Glory had raced 41 times for nine wins, 14 placings and $159,197.
Blaze Away likely to keep going
Trainer Michael Young was planning to send up-and-coming four-year-old Blaze Away to the spelling paddock after contesting the $23,000 www.horseandhound.com.au Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But after Gary Hall jnr had driven the WA-bred Sweet Lou gelding to a commanding victory, he is considering continuing the gelding’s current program which has yielded four wins and two third placings from six starts.
“I was going to spell him, but Junior (Hall) has recommended that I keep him racing while he is performing so well,” said Young. “I thought he was getting tired, and I was planning on giving him a spell. I’ll sleep on that now.”
Blaze Away was the $1.30 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line on Friday night and he worked hard, out three wide, before taking the lead from $101 outsider Alexandra Thegreat after 700m.
Blaze Away covered the final 800m in 57.4sec. and won by four lengths from $41 chance Gota Good Warhol, rating 1.56.7 to improve his record to six wins and six placings for stakes of $70,786 from 17 starts.
“He had to do a fair bit of work early, but he’s a little professional,” said Hall. “He just waited until I asked him to go forward. He is happy to drop the bit and pick up the bit whenever I like. It’s always hard if you go forward and they’re reefing and tearing, and you get left out there a bit longer than you would like.
“He has come a long way. I thought in his early two-year-old days he was going to be a really nice horse. But he lost his way a bit, and now Michael has got him going very well.”
Hugotastic has a bright future
Lightly-raced New Zealand-bred pacer Hugotastic gave further proof that he has a bright future when he romped to an effortless win in the $23,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Australia And NZ Wide Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Michael Young-trained New Zealand-bred five-year-old justified her hot favouritism at $1.04 when Gary Hall jnr drove him confidently to win by more than two lengths from $20 chance Cee Dee Three, rating 1.57.9 after sprinting over the final 800m in 56.2sec.
“I like him; he is an all-round horse, who was tough in his trial and was fast first-up (wining by almost five lengths at Pinjarra) and tonight he just cruised around and won easily,” said an admiring Young. “Hopefully, he will make his way to Free-For-Alls.”
Hall also was lavish in his praise, saying: “He’s got a few gears, but has a little bit to learn on his tractability. It’s only minor stuff, and he should go a long way.”
Hugotastic began from barrier two on the back line and he settled down in seventh position before Hall set him alight 450m after the start and he quickly burst to the front and went on to prove far too good for his rivals.
He is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is the fourth foal out of Art Major mare Its All On, who raced twelve times in New Zealand for two wins, one placing and $10, 200. Its All On has also produced smart performers Bettor Get It On (51 starts for 11 wins, 19 placings and $191,675) and Mr Fantastic (52 starts for 14 wins, eight placings and $156,207).
Hugotastic is poised to improve significantly on his record of 16 starts for five wins, seven placings and $59,424 in stakes.
It’s been a long wait for Stampalia
WA-bred four-year-old Back On Line revived memories of Bettors Icon winning the $100,000 group 1 Pearl classic for two-year-olds almost 13 years ago when he finished with a spirited burst to win the $21,000 Garrard’s Now UFO Stocklists Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Both pacers were bred, owned, trained and driven by Brad Stampalia, who was devastated when Bettors Icon broke down and had to be retired after only five starts (for his Pearl win and one minor placings for stakes of $63,540).
Bettors Icon was the first foal out of unraced Christian Cullen mare Chrissy Hills, whose fifth foal Back On Line is the only other of her progeny to appear in a race.
“It’s a long road, breeding and training them to race,” said 52-year-old Stampalia, who owns a trucking business and trains a few pacers as a hobby at his Bullsbrook property.
“Tonight, I was confident of winning as long as we got a (clear) run (after being hemmed in behind the frontrunning Control Queen). But it was a bit tight, and I probably caused a bit of trouble on the turn before he sprinted home well.”
Back On Line, a $4.80 chance from the inside of the back line, checked the breeze horse Pay Homage ($12) on the home turn as he shifted out from the pegs and into the clear. He went on to win by a length from Control Queen to take his record to 15 starts for three wins, three placings and $28,348 in prizemoney.
Williams makes a good choice
Veteran Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams well remembers when prominent breeder and owner Rob Tomlinson asked him almost two years ago to cast his eye over three-year-old New Zealand pacer Vanderbilt.
Tomlinson, one of WA’s leading owners who is the major shareholder of superstar Magnificent Storm, was keen to get the opinion of Williams, an astute judge of horseflesh.
And once Williams had watched video recordings of Vanderbilt at his two starts at Addington in June 2023, he had no hesitation in recommending the youngster to Tomlinson.
“Robbie rang me and asked if I would have a look at Vanderbilt,” said Williams. “The horse had had two starts, both in stands for a fourth and a third placing.
“On debut Vanderbilt began slowly and gave the others so such start. But he simply kept on going to finish fourth. He also put in a similar performance at his second start.”
At his first appearance Vanderbilt galloped badly from the No. 1 barrier and settled down a distant last in the field of eleven runners. He was still last, ten lengths behind the leader, 600m from home before finishing powerfully out five wide to finish fourth behind Choco Lou.
At his next start Vanderbilt was trapped out wide early before being restrained back to 13TH in the field of 14. He was 11TH at the 400m before running home out four wide to finish a close third behind Winnyzback and Don Juan.
Williams has no regrets that he purchased Vanderbilt and races the five-year-old gelding in partnership with several stable clients.
Vanderbilt was the $1.20 favourite from barrier six in the $25,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound Autumn Series final at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Aldo Cortopassi drove him to a convincing victory over Chasing Hill ($8.50) and Mister Piccolo ($41).
Vanderbilt raced three wide early and then in the breeze before overtaking the pacemaking Chasing Hill 250m from home. He rated a smart 1.55.5 over 2130m and improved his record to 25 starts for ten wins, six placings and $84,606. He is by Always B Miki and is the fifth foal out of Traceys Delight, who had 14 starts without a win and four placings for earnings of $3327.
“I’m always a bit worried when my horse is in the breeze,” said Williams. “But I knew he has plenty of ability and keeps on trying. He took a while to settle after getting here and now his past four or five runs show that he has turned the corner.
“He is a good doer and nothing worries him. I reckon when he comes back (after a spell) he will be a lot better horse.”
A first for Peterson
Talented trainer-reinsman Corey Peterson chalked up a notable first in harness racing when he prepared and drove promising filly Manhattan Ruby to an impressive victory in the $31,000 Garrard’s Here On Track Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 24-year-old Peterson his first success as a breeder in a metropolitan-class event --- with the first pacer he has bred.
Manhattan Ruby, the $1.70 favourite, burst to the front from the No. 4 barrier and gave a splendid frontrunning display to win by ten metres from $10 chance Lou Lamour, who ran home solidly from fifth on the pegs at the bell. She covered the final 800m in 57.2sec. and rated 1.58.4.
This completed a hat-trick of wins and took the filly’s record to four starts for three wins and $28,260 in prizemoney.
Manhattan Ruby is by former star pacer Soho Tribeca and is the first foal out of Bettors Delight mare The Achiever, who raced 16 times for four wins, two placings and $23,671.
The Achiever was sent to WA trainer-reinsman Kim Prentice in 2017 by her owners, members of the prominent Butt harness racing family in New Zealand. She made her WA debut at Pinjarra on December 4, 2017, when she faded to finish eighth behind Beaudiene Beach Babe and then broke down with a damaged tendon.
The Achiever eventually recovered, and then Peterson sought approval to prepare the mare. “I asked if I could give her a go,” said Peterson. “And she won four races for me (two at Pinjarra and one at both Gloucester Park and Northam) before breaking down again.
“The owners then said I could have The Achiever as a gift and use her as a broodmare. She is a good filly, and her main aim is the Westbred Classic in September. I will give her a month to six weeks off before preparing her for the Westbred race and then see how she goes before deciding whether to get her ready for the WA Oaks.”
