DEAD-HEATERS OVERCOME WIDEST BARRIERS

Morgan Woodley and Donald Harper, the two youngest drivers in the $35,000 FHRC Members Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night, overcame the disadvantage of the two widest barriers to triumph in the prestigious 1730m speed battle.

Woodley (19) dashed 6/1 chance Dr Dre to the front 100m from the line and Harper (20) brought Hayton Brain (5/1) home with a powerful finish to get up and dead-heat for first with Dr Dre.

The two New Zealand-bred pacers maintained the dominance of horses from that country in the Members Sprint, with the previous five winners all coming from New Zealand.

For Harper, it was his second success in the rich event, after having led throughout with Hayton Brain at 11/2 12 months earlier.

The thrilling dead-heat, with the fast-finishing Franco Amon (14/1) failing by a mere head, revived memories of the only previous dead-heat in this event, between Little William (Les Poyser) and Virgil Queen (Les Marriott) at Richmond Raceway in 1977.

Harper, who part-owns Hayton Brain with Ray Hoffman and trains the Our Sir Vancelot eight-year-old, will set the gelding for the $50,000 Mount Eden Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday week.

And Pinjarra trainer Kevin Strahan also will be aiming Dr Dre for the Mount Eden Sprint. He has been preparing the Christian Cullen seven-year-old for only a month and Dr Dre’s win on Friday night gave him his first training success since Aldo Cortopassi drove Thunders Last to victory at Collie on April 25, 2002.

Strahan’s previous Gloucester Park training success was with Golden Yen (Aiden Warwick) on August 31, 2001, in a country-front event. His most recent Gloucester Park winner in a metropolitan-stakes event was Thundalara Chief (Peter Schrader), on May 24, 1991.

In the Members Sprint 12 months ago, Hayton Brain started from barrier two and Harper drove the gelding to an all-the-way win over Demoralizer. This year, Hayton Brain started from the outside barrier No. 9) in the field of nine and Harper did not bustle the gelding early.

Dr Dre started from No. 8 and Woodley also wisely decided against getting involved in an early battle for the lead.

At the bell, Dr Dre was fifth, three back in the moving line, with Harper following Woodley’s every move, having Hayton Brain in seventh place.
Capitol V (10/1) was smartest into stride from barrier five, surprisi8ngly beating out the more fancied inside runners Tee Pee Village (5/2) and Spirit Of A Shark (5/1). Mark Reed then relinquished the lead after 300m to Roydon Holmes, thus placing Tee Pee Village under lock and key three back on the pegs.

Chris Lewis tried desperately to extricate Tee Pee Village from the inside before he eventually got into the one-wide line about 600m from home. But then Tee Pee Village was still badly hampered for room and he did not threaten danger, finishing seventh.

Roydon Holmes, who set the pace with Spirit Of A Shark on his outside, wilted to fourth, with Spirit Of A Shark fading to eighth.

The dead-heaters rated 1.57.2 over the 1730m. Hayton Brain, a winner of three races from 18 starts in New Zealand, has had 43 WA starts for 15 wins and five runs in Victoria produced a win at Cranbourne.

Dr Dre, a winner of 16 races in South Australia, now has had 24 starts in WA for five wins and seven placings.

 MOUNT EDEN SPRINT BECKONS SNEAKYN DOWN UNDER

Crack New Zealand-bred six-year-old Sneakyn Down Under is seemingly invincible and he gave a further illustration of his tremendous ability when he crushed his rivals in the FHRC Members Annual Trophy Race Fund Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was his fifth successive victory and gave Chris Lewis the perfect record of five drives for five wins behind the big bay gelding who rated an impressive 1.55.5 over the 1730m, just 0.2sec. outside the track record shared by Lightning Jake and Lookslikelightning.

The Darren Duffy-trained Sneakyn Down Under is being set for the $50,000 Mount Eden Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday week before being prepared for the rich summer carnival events.

Sneakyn Down Under started from the outside of the back line and settled down in ninth position. Quick Draw McCaw, as anticipated, was smartest into stride and set the pace.

When Lewis saw Gary Hall jun. urging brilliant mare Amongst Royalty forward in the early stages (after starting from No. 9 barrier) he quickly dashed Sneakyn Down Under forward, keeping Amongst Royalty out four wide.

Sneakyn Down Under finally moved outside the pacemaker Quick Draw McCaw with 1200m to travel. Quick Draw McCaw was highballing in front, reeling off sectionals in the final mile of 28.6sec., 29.7sec. and 29sec. before Sneakyn Down Under forged to the front 250m from home.

Sneakyn Down Under covered the final 400m in 29sec. and won with arrogant ease, by just under three lengths from Bobby Hank, who after challenging unsuccessfully for the early lead, had enjoyed a perfect trail behind Quick Draw McCaw.

Quick Draw McCaw held on gamely to finish third, with Amongst Royalty, trapped wide throughout, fading to tenth.

 WOODLEY SETS CRACKING PACE WITH A TREBLE

Teenager Morgan Woodley maintained his dazzling form in the sulky with a treble at Gloucester Park on Friday night and he has raced to an early lead on the reinsmen’s premiership for the 2008-09 season.

Six weeks into the season Woodley is the State’s leading driver with 23 wins from 106 drives. He is followed by Colin Brown (16 from 103), Gary Hall jun. (15 from 74) and Chris Lewis (14 from 98).

Hall is the leading metropolitan driver, with 13 wins. He is followed by Woodley (ten), Lewis (nine) and Callan Suvaljko (seven).

Woodley was successful on Friday night with Black Washout, Dr Dre and Whosyourdaddy.

Whosyourdaddy extended his winning sequence to five for owner Brian McKenna and trainer Craig Billingham when he galloped for a couple of strides at the start of the FHRC President and Committee Handicap, but quickly began to pace and then raced to the lead.

The race was billed as a match between the rejuvenated Whosyourdaddy and Spirit of Shard, who was unbeaten at six WA starts. Spirit of Shard was the 6/4 favourite off the back mark of 30m, with frontmarker Whosyourdaddy at 9/4.

Woodley allowed Whosyourdaddy to bowl along and he increased the tempo when he saw Gary Hall jun. urge Spirit of Shard forward with a three-wide move from the rear after a lap had been completed.

Spirit of Shard moved outside the pacemaker with 1200m to travel, but he was a spent force approaching the home turn and wilted to finish eighth. Live To Reign, who raced without cover in the first lap and then enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, fought on gamely to be second, with Alberts Fantasy running on from tenth at the bell to be third.

Earlier, Black Washout, owned by Queenslander Paul Demicoli and trained at Waroona by Nigel Johns, notched his third win from seven WA starts when he worked hard outside the pacemaker Redfox Whitby before getting to the front 100m from the post and winning the 2130m FHRC Join The Club Stakes from the fast-finishing Erykah Badu.
Black Washout was placed at three of his 14 New Zealand starts before winning five times from 12 starts in Tasmania and once (at Geelong) from six Victorian starts.

 ONE-PACED SLUG PROVES HIS WORTH

Queensland pacer A Question of Time, described by his reinsman Gary Hall jun. as a big one-paced slug, revealed tremendous strength and splendid fighting qualities when he broke through for his first WA victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Well supported from 7/4 to favouritism at 5/4, A Question of Time ended a losing sequence of 17 when he worked hard outside the pacemaker Lord Washington in the 2130m FHRC New Members Stakes before getting to the front 80m from the post.

Hall refused to allow Lord Washington an easy time in front and he applied considerable pressure to the leader for much of the journey before Lord Washington wilted in the closing stages.

“He’s not my favourite sort of horse,” Hall said. “He’s a bit of a tough horse to drive, a bit of a one-paced slug.” A winner of 14 races in Queensland, A Question of Time now has had four WA starts for one wins, two seconds and a fourth. He rated a solid 1.58.3.

Power In Disguise, who was sent from Queensland to the Hazlemere stables of leading trainer Gary Hall sen. with A Question of Time, completed a double for the Halls when he started at 13/4 and raced without cover before finishing doggedly to win by a nose from the fast-finishing Ohokas Artsplace in the 2130m FHRC Life Members Stakes.

Calcutta Money, a 12/1 chance with bookmakers and a 30/1 tote outsider, set a brisk pace and was overhauled only in the final couple of strides to finish a head away in third place. 

 Power In Disguise, who rated 1.58.6, won once in New Zealand and 16 times in Queensland. His first six WA starts have produced three wins and two seconds.

 Power in Disguise’s win saw the downfall of the even-money favourite Gransagenic, who started from the outside barrier and was trapped three wide in third place for most of the journey, with Hall jun. maintaining the breeze position.

Gransagenic (Colin Brown) was fighting on doggedly in third place before he broke and lost ground 270m from the finish. He wilted to eighth place and later the stewards stood him down for 14 days and ordered that he complete two satisfactory trials before being permitted to race again.

 PUNTER SURVIVES ANXIOUS MOMENT

A punter who invested $8600 in two wagers on Good Boys in the FHRC Members Social Outings Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night had his heart in his mouth early in the event when the 11/8 favourite raced roughly and appeared likely to break badly soon after the start.

However, Shannon Suvaljko was able to take hold of the six-year-old, steady him and prevent him from breaking into a gallop while Even The Odds dashed away to an early lead from Jilsander.

Good Boys settled down in fifth place and Suvaljko vacated the one-wide position to send him forward with a fast move after 600m and the gelding burst past Even The Odds and to the front after a lap. Good Boys then dictated terms and went on to win easily from Star City Roller and Singapore Johnny.

This was the ninth win from only 39 starts for Good Boys, who is owned by Clive Atwell, of Mundijong and Dene Bickers, of Serpentine.

He has been in fine form since entering the Suvaljko’s Byford stables, with his five starts for Suvaljko producing two wins, two thirds and a fifth.

 ANOTHER WIN FOR IRON HORSE DEMORALIZER

Nine-year-old Demoralizer enhanced his reputation as WA’s iron horse when he sped to the lead 600m after the start and won in good style from Vintage Concerto in the FHRC Jackpot Claiming Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was the Tony Svilicich owned and trained stallion’s 24th victory from 172 starts, which includes 47 minor placings.

Demoralizer is as tough as nails and his earnings have reached $343,369. He rarely has a spell and lines up week after week. He had 40 starts in the 2006-07 season and 48 starts last season. Already he has had seven starts in the first six weeks of the current season.

Giles Inwood handled Demoralizer with his usual assurance and the young reinsman now has driven the tough veteran 26 times for seven wins and 11 placings.

 SPOT THE ACE LANDS GOOD BETS

Smart pacer Spot the Ace landed some good bets with bookmakers when he gave a splendid frontrunning display to win the FHRC Membership Package Stakes by more than a length from Fake Occasion at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Spot the Ace, making his second appearance for trainer-driver Mark Reed after a spell, was supported from 3/1 to 7/4 before his price eased to 9/4.

The six-year-old, owned by William Hampson, started his career in New Zealand before having 26 starts in Victoria for 11 wins. He now has raced 12 times in WA for fiver wins and looks set for further successes.
Bell Operative also was well supported before Shane Young drove him to a convincing all-the-way victory over rank outsider Armbro Nina in the 2096m FHRC Country Members Handicap.

Trained at Pinjarra by Russell Eddy, Bell Operative’s price firmed from 4/1 to 3/1.

 KEILEY DRIVES FOUR WINNERS AT KALGOORLIE

Young reinsman Bern Keiley stole the show at the meeting at Kalgoorlie on Friday night when he drove four winners, who were trained by his father, Noel.

Keiley was successful with Our Streets On Fire, Sokys Last Party, Its Thegiftoflife and New York Cullen.