LUCKY PUNCH AIMED AT BUNBURY CUP

Highly-promising five-year-old Lucky Punch will be set for the $30,000 Bunbury Cup at Donaldson Park on Saturday March 10 after his brilliant victory in the City of Perth Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

But outstanding young reinsman Kade Howson will not be able to drive the gelding in the 2569m Bunbury Cup.

Kade Howson & connections of Lucky Punch

Howson pleaded guilty to a charge of making another runner cover more ground than necessary and was suspended for 21 days.

Lucky Punch moved to the three-wide line approaching the bell, forcing second favourite Lightning Jake (Chris Lewis) four wide.

The suspension was a disappointing sequel to the City of Perth Cup in which Lucky Punch, the 2/1 favourite, had to overcome difficulties to win narrowly from Lennon.

Lucky Punch started from the inside of the second line in the 1730m sprint and most pundits expected the gelding would have a good passage behind the likely leader Runam Along, who started from barrier one.

But Runam Along was beaten for early pace by Matt In Black and Trial By Jury, and, as a consequence, Lucky Punch settled down three back on the pegs.

When Callan Suvaljko sent Trial By Jury past the early leader Matt In Black after 500m had been covered, Lucky Punch was in serious bother in seventh position.

But Howson then was able to get Lucky Punch off the inside and into the moving line before he switched three wide approaching the bell and forcing Lightning Jake four wide.

Lucky Punch followed the three-wide run of The Sentry and then went four wide down the back straight as Lennon got on terms with the leader Trial By Jury 450m from home before he took the lead 300m out.

Lennon was being hailed the winner on the home turn, but Lucky Punch stormed home down the outside to hit the front 50m from the post. Matt In Black ran well to finish third.

Lucky Punch, produced in splendid shape by astute Capel trainer Greg Harper, is proving a marvellous investment for his new owners Ron McFadden, his wife Vivienne and their son Andrew.

The McFaddens claimed Lucky Punch for $25,000 at Gloucester Park on December 1 and now the five-year-old has had three starts for them for a win, a second and a third for stake-earnings of $20,600.

The Victorian-bred Lucky Punch now has a good record of 17 wins, 21 placings and $145,078 in stakes from 57 starts.

Lucky Punch, who finished sixth behind Emmas Only, Sir Galvinator and Tribute in the $150,000 Victoria Derby at Moonee Valley in February 2005, will be one of the leading WA contenders for the Be Active WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park on March 23.

STEPHEN REED’S BIG NIGHT OUT

When young reinsman Stephen Reed arrived at Gloucester Park on Friday night he held no great hopes of success. His three drives, Justabitjolly, Bali Girl and Mr Aceman, were not highly fancied.

It was quite a shock to learn that he had been nominated by trainer Ross Olivieri to drive Cantafend, Dufflecoat Flyer and Shellstar. He had never driven any of those horses before.

Stephen Reed & connections of Shellstar

The night started poorly. Justabitjolly, a 30/1 chance on the tote, set the pace in the opening event before fading badly to finish last behind Smart Jag.

Then Cantafend was a rank outsider in the second event, starting at 186/1 on the tote. Cantafend fought on doggedly from the rear to finish a well-beaten sixth behind Floyd Bromac.

However, things got decidedly better, with Reed landing his first city double by steering Dufflecoat Flyer and Shellstar to all-the-way victories. And, for good measure, Mr Aceman finished solidly from eighth at the bell to be second to Walesa in the ninth event.

Followers of the Olivieri stable were rejoicing after the wins of Dufflecoat Flyer at 34/1 on the tote and Shellstar at 23/1. A mere $10 all-up wager would have netted a return of $7820.

Olivieri had to make the late substitution of Reed on his horses after the stewards banned Jason Vella from driving pending an inquiry into an analyst’s report on a urine sample provided by Vella the previous Friday.

Vella was also replaced on Jasper Country and Safe Decision.

Ryan Bell took the drive on the Murray Hansen-trained Jasper County, who finished third behind Walesa in the Victoria Gardens Handicap, and Aldo Cortopassi was engaged by trainer Derek Greengrass for Safe Decision, who rattled home along the pegs to be a head second to Cumbria Warrior in the Schweppes Stakes. He returned a handsome dividend of $8.70 for a place.

After guiding Dufflecoat Flyer to victory in the Regal Palace Claiming Stakes, a slightly bemused Reed said that he had had no idea that he was to take the drive on Olivieri’s three pacers until well after he had arrived on course.

Dufflecoat Flyer was the smartest into stride from No. 5 barrier and he took a clear lead from Gifted Operator after 200m and then set a dawdling pace before he sprinted the third quarter of the final mile in 28.7sec. and came home in 29.7sec.

“He relaxed beautifully in front and I was happy to go that slow early,” Reed said.

Dufflecoat Flyer was never seriously challenged and he won by a length from the fast-finishing veteran The Die Is Cast, with the 6/4 favourite Magic Loch plugging on into third place after working hard without cover.

Later, in the Ghost Rider Conditioned Handicap, it was a case of big is best.

Reed is one of the tallest drivers in WA and Shellstar is the biggest horse racing in the State.

From barrier one in the stand, Shellstar jumped straight to the lead, and while several other runners were involved in a scrimmage, Reed dashed Shellstar to a four-length lead soon after the start had been effected.

Shellstar relished the role of pacemaker and he strolled to victory over the fast-finishing Our Golden Finale and Just Jasper (the horse who caused the early trouble).

“The two biggest horses I’ve seen are Albert Longlegs and Shellstar,” Reed said. “My instructions were to lead with Shellstar, if I could.

“I definitely didn’t want to take a sit because I can’t see around this bloke, and he could easily put a foot in the cart of the horse in front of him.”

Both Dufflecoat Flyer and Shellstar are by American stallion Walton Flyer and were bred in Victoria. Reed became the eighth driver to have handled Dufflecoat Flyer in his 42-start WA career and the 11th reinsman to have driven Shellstar in his 40 WA starts.

Dufflecoat Flyer won 13 races in Victoria and now has won six times in WA. Shellstar, a winner of five races in Victoria, now has won five times in WA.

SOVEREIGN BEEJAY JUST TOO GOOD

Sovereign Beejay notched her 26th win, and her 19th at Gloucester Park, when she proved too good for her rivals in the 2007 Mares Mile over 1730m on Friday night.

Though she went into the race with vastly superior credentials than her ten rivals, Sovereign Beejay eased from 3/1 to 5/1 with bookmakers and was a 7/1 chance on the tote.

Aaron Beckett & connections of Sovereign Beejay

Aaron Beckett urged Sovereign Beejay forward from barrier nine at the start and the powerful mare quickly strode forward to race without a trail while Victorian import Golden Flyin was bowling along in front after wresting the lead from Cee Georgina 300m after the start.

Sovereign Beejay surged to the front on the home turn and raced away to win by a length from the fast-finishing Spirit of Navajo and Golden Flyin, rating 1.57.8 over the 1730m.

“The big drop in class helped, and I thought I had to beat out Dilingers Reign to get into the race,” Beckett said.

Dilingers Reign, from barrier seven, was not driven out hard and she settled down towards the rear. Dilingers Reign, an even-money chance with bookmakers and considerably shorter at $1.70 on the tote, was tenth at the bell and she never threatened any real danger before battling on to finish fifth.

Ladyluck, backed from 6/1 to 11/4 in the ring, enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, and she fought on gamely to finish fourth.

CHRIS LEWIS BOUNCES BACK

After being beaten with favourites in the first three events at Gloucester Park on Friday night, Chris Lewis burst back by winning the following two races with Devastating (9/2) and Johnstan Moneil (12/1).

“He’s ultra-consistent and a horse every owner would love,” Lewis said after Devastating had sprinted home to snatch victory by a head over Nelson Street in the Rick Tucker Welding Pathway Series Stakes.

Devastating

Never a truer word was spoken. Breeder-owner-trainer Les Coulson is a happy man, with the four-year-old Devastating boasting a wonderful record of 12 wins, 19 placings and $210,360 in stakes.

Parkys Dilemma set a brisk pace and Lewis had Devastating poised to strike in the one-out, one-back trail for most of the way.

Nelson Street (5/2) came from sixth (three wide) at the bell to hit the front with about 20m to travel. But he was unable to hold off the flying Devastating, who has been well placed by his trainer and is still an M0-class pacer.

In the following event, the Mardalup Park Stakes, Lewis positioned Johnstan Moneil behind the speedy pacemaker Black Line before bringing the five-year-old home with a well-timed burst to win from Wake Ned Devine (who finished strongly on the inside) and Albert Chief.

PATIENT PRENTICE PIPS HOT-POP

Supporters of the 7/4 on favourite Commander Whitby were on good terms with themselves when Chris Lewis sent the seven-year-old to the lead 100m from home in the Be Active Stakes.

But the cheers turned to tears when teenager Justin Prentice brought the Andrew De Campo-trained Floyd Bromac (5/1) home with a flying burst to get up and win by a head.

Floyd Bromac

“Andrew told me to be patient,” Prentice explained.

Floyd Bromac started from barrier one in the 1730m event and Prentice was happy to take the sit behind the freewheeling frontrunner Umere Lad before the gelding unleashed his typical sizzling late burst.

The win made amends for Prentice’s narrow defeat (by a head) in the opening event, the Claisebrook Cove Stakes, in which Scram Jet sustained a powerful burst from ninth in the middle stages but just failed to get up and beat Smart Jag.

Smart Jag, a winner of seven races in New South Wales and four in Canberra, now has won four times from 16 WA starts.

Trainer-driver Callan Suvaljko said that Smart Jag (backed from 10/1 to 13/2 in the ring, but paying $14.70 on the tote) was not renowned for his toughness.

“But he went super tonight,” Suvaljko said. “He worked hard early and was three deep for most of the first lap before working in the breeze.”

CLINT HALL LANDS THE FINAL TWO WINNERS

Clint Hall ended Friday night’s meeting at Gloucester Park on a high, driving the winners of the final two events.

He produced four-year-old Walesa (9/4) in tip-top shape for his first outing since last August and the Perfect Art gelding enjoyed a perfect sit, one-out and one-back, before finishing boldly to win from Mr Aceman and Jasper County.

Walesa

Then Cumbria Warrior (7/2) led all the way in the final event, the Schweppes Stakes, and held on to score by a head from outsider Safe Decision, who flew home along the pegs.

Bayete Nkosi also finished with a powerful burst from the rear to be third.

After the race, Grant Williams, driver of Village Jim, was suspended for 25 days for causing interference to Midnight Chill on the home turn. Williams will return in time to drive in the Fremantle Cup on March 16.