BARGAIN BUY ELLA SUE HAS THE LOOK OF A CHAMPION

Powerful filly Ella Sue is giving every indication of becoming one of harness racing’s real bargains of recent times as she develops into a star performer.

Bought for a mere $5000 as a yearling in  New Zealand, the three-year-old daughter of former outstanding pacer Elsu revealed all the characteristics that take to make a champion when she scored a hard-fought victory in the Lawsons Underwriting Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Produced in superb fettle by leading trainer Gary Hall sen., Ella Sue settled in tenth position, moved to eighth at the bell and sustained a spirited three and four-wide burst to take the lead 100m from the post and then fight tenaciously to hold on and beat the flying Pole Dancer by a nose in a thrilling finish to the 2130m event.

This was her sixth victory from only nine starts and boosted her earnings to $38,765 for owners, Mark Congerton’s Total Strategy syndicate, Beth Richardson, Paul Ramsay, Kerry Lee-Brown, Glen Moore and David Glendinning.

Her prizemoney is set to increase dramatically this season when she contests feature events, including the $35,000 Daintys Daughter Classic on March 5 and the $150,000 WA Oaks on May 14. And there is also the distinct possibility of Ella Sue being set for the $200,000 WA Derby on April 16.

Ace reinsman Gary Hall jun. restrained Ella Sue (backed from 5/4 to 10/9 on favouritism) from barrier seven to the rear of the field as Rich Life set the pace, with Centrefold Angel on her outside, Room To Zoom behind the leader and Mizuno one-out and one-back.

Hall took Ella Sue three wide with 1150m to travel and the filly made up ground rapidly before being forced four wide 300m from home. Pole Dancer, a clear second favourite at 11/4, was ninth at the bell and she loomed forward dangerously as Callan Suvaljko took her six wide at the 250m mark.

Pole Dancer thundered home down the outside of the track and just failed. She and Ella Sue look set for many more titanic battles in three-year-old events this season.

Hear No Secret, the only other New Zealand-bred filly in the race apart from Ella Sue, maintained her splendid form for trainer Jesse Moore when she finished boldly from tenth at the bell to be a solid third.

 GOVERNOR’S CUP THE NEXT TARGET FOR HAS THE ANSWERS

Tough seven-year-old Has The Answers will be set for the $50,000 Governor’s Cup over 2130m at Gloucester Park next Friday night after scoring a decisive victory over Kinneys Gold in the Global Insurance Broking Chinese New Year Cup on Friday night.

The win by just under two lengths was the gelding’s eighth win from 19 starts this season and extended his lead on the Horse of the Year award.

Has The Answers has 78 points and holds a substantial lead over Palomine (42 points), Arma Harris (40) and Ima Rocket Star, Winter Retreat, Hussy Hoffa, Smooth Shift and Rostriever Ornum (all on 38 points).

Bred in WA by Les Coulson, Has The Answers is raced on lease by Byford trainer Tony Svilicich and Sonya Murrell. He has had 109 starts for 30 wins, 34 placings and $473,884 in prizemoney.

Favourite at 3/1 on, Has The Answers started from barrier seven and Chris Lewis restrained him at the start while polemarker Black As Knight, an 11-year-old and rank outsider at 100/1, set a fast early pace as he resisted attempts by Conte Centovalli (Adam Mellsop) to assume the role of pacemaker.

Eventually, Conte Centovalli took the lead after a lap had been covered. It was then that Gary Hall jun. (Tealsby Karita) and Chris Lewis (Has The Answers) made their moves.

Has The Answers, three wide and on the inside of Tealsby Karita, mustered greater pace and he quickly moved forward to take up the position outside the pacemaker Conte Centovalli.

Has The Answers surged to the front 550m from home and he safely held the fast-finishing Kinneys Gold at bay. Tuapeka Tiz ran on from sixth at the bell to be third, just ahead of Astrolabe Storm, who fought on gamely at his first appearance for 11 months.

Conte Centovalli faded to fifth and Tealsby Karita finished sixth.

 BURCH LANDS FIRST METROPOLITAN WINNER AT FIRST TRY

Twenty-one-year-old Courtney Burch celebrated her first drive in a metropolitan-class event by landing Nunganungastein a smart all-the-way winner over Western Jade and Im Light Hearted in the Centrepoint Alliance Young Drivers Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Nunganungastein, a big seven-year-old gelding trained at Hazelmere by Michael Brennan, was a 4/1 third favourite and his sparkling early speed paved the way for victory. From barrier five, he was smartest into stride and Burch rated him to perfection before he won by a half-length from Western Jade (5/1), who trailed him throughout.

Im Light Hearted (11/4) was 11th with 300m to travel before he charged home, six wide, into third place. Puhinui Rainbow, the 3/1 favourite, fought on gamely from seventh at the bell to finish fourth.

Nunganungastein was bred in Victoria where he won five races. He was flourished in WA, winning five times from his first ten starts in the State. He is lightly raced and has the good record of ten wins and eight placings from only 35 starts.

His dam True Right, by Fake Left, was an honest performer who won 12 races in Queensland and two in New South Wales from 67 starts. She earned $49,750 in stakes.

 OMEGARAMA SHINES AFTER SURVIVING A HORROR SMASH

Young reinsman Giles Inwood spiralling skywards after being catapulted from the sulky after Omegarama had crashed to the track approaching the home turn of a race at Gloucester Park last June remains a vivid memory.

Omegarama was a key figure in this spectacular accident, involving eight runners after the leader Riffle Dragon had fallen.

A massive chunk of flesh was ripped from one of Omegarama’s front legs, leaving the bone in a knee clearly visible. Owner Brian McKenna feared that the five-year-old would not race again.

However, Omegarama made a wonderful recovery and was able to resume racing after an absence of only six months. And since his return to racing under the care of his new trainer Peter Anderson, the gelding was been in sparkling form.

He reappeared in a race at Pinjarra on January 4 when he galloped badly in a stand and lost 75m before catching his rivals and then pulling fiercely. He moved into third place, three wide, at the bell before fading to a distant last behind Pacific Black.

Anderson then decided to use a different bit in a bid to get the gelding to race more tractably. This had an immediate effect and Omegarama’s bad habits are a distant memory. His five starts after the Pinjarra failure have produced three wins and two placings.

The third of these wins, following impressive victories at Narrogin and Pinjarra, came at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Morgan Woodley drove expertly to land the gelding, equal second favourite at 7/2, a decisive winner over Sokys Fastlane (11/2) and Hillview Storm, who was backed from 4/1 to 5/4.

Omegarama started from the outside of the back line and he came from sixth, three wide, at the bell to hit the front 270m from home. He was untroubled to beat Sokys Fastlane, who finished solidly from ninth at the bell. Hillview Storm, having his first start for Oakford trainer Ryan Bell, caught the eye in surging home from last at the bell to be third.   

After winning at Terang as a two-year-old and at Mildura as a three-year-old, Omegarama was bought by Byford trainer Alan Bell.

After Omegarama had won three times from his first four starts in WA, Bell advertised him for sale at $15,000. McKenna jumped at the opportunity and he certainly has no regrets that he bought the gelding, whose first 18 starts for him have produced six wins, three placings and stakes of $34,686.

 WINTER RETREAT A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY FOR WILLIAMS

Winter Retreat enhanced his reputation as one of State’s most consistent pacers when he worked hard without cover before dashing away from his rivals to win the Formaction Pace over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

His victory over Nickelmeldon and Hussy Hoffa completed a training and driving double for Grant Williams, who had been successful earlier with Parasite.

Winter Retreat, favourite at 6/4, began smoothly from 20m, with only two runners, Just Ludachris (of the front) and Eagle Eye Lombo (10m), starting in front of him. He settled down in fourth place on the pegs before Williams had no hesitation easing him out after 550m to go forward and race without a trail as Just Ludachris bowled along in front from Turkish.
 
Winter Retreat relaxed well in the breeze and he got on terms with Just Ludachris 450m from home before taking a narrow lead at the 250m mark. Hussy Hoffa (7/4) sustained a solid three-wide burst from the 900m, but never appeared likely to seriously challenge Winter Retreat.

Nickelmeldon, who started from 30m with Hussy Hoffa, enjoyed a perfect trail, one-out and one-back, before finishing gamely to deprive Hussy Hoffa of second place.

Winter Retreat, who was bred by Bryan Cousins, has been a wonderful moneyspinner, earning $117,333 from 13 wins and 22 placings from 44 starts.

He is by Armbro Operative out of New Zealand-bred mare Summer Carnival, who won once in New Zealand, once in Victoria and five times in WA to earn $35,442 from 47 starts. Williams drove her to her final victory, at Gloucester Park in February 2000.

Summer Carnival has produced other winners in Chico Verano, Spring Carnival and Kissed Flush.

Parasite, favourite at 2/1, gave Williams the first leg of his double when he won in good style from the pacemaker Governor Art (9/2) and Torben (5/2) in the Jim Giumelli Pace over 2130m.

Williams dashed Parasite forward from the No. 6 barrier and the New Zealand-bred gelding raced without cover briefly before getting an ideal trail behind Torben, who worked hard outside the freewheeling Governor Art.

Parasite finished powerful to take the lead in the final 50m. battled on gamely into third place. He bled during the race and has been banned for the mandatory three months.

 PERFECT SPRING ENDS 909-DAY DROUGHT

Former star juvenile pacer Perfect Spring caused a major upset and ended a 909-day drought when he sat behind the pacemaker All In Teck before finishing gamely to snatch a head victory from that veteran pacer in the Atkin Family Claiming Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A 14/1 chance who paid odds of 19/1 on the tote, seven-year-old Perfect Spring broke a losing sequence of 38 in winning for the first time since he was successful at Gloucester Park on August 24, 2007.

Purchased for only $5000 late last year, Perfect Spring was having only his second start for Kellerberrin trainer Tony Allington and he was driven patiently by Vance Stampalia.

Now owned by West Swan trainer Tony Giglietta and Bret Tottman, Perfect Spring was an outstanding two-year-old whose six wins at that age included the $100,000 Pearl Classic in June 2005. He also struck a purple patch as a four-year-old, winning five races in a row.

But his form deteriorated and he raced in claimers for $5000 last year. Giglietta trained the gelding for three unplaced runs, in December and January, before the pacer was transferred to Allington’s stables.

Outsiders filled the placings in Friday night’s event, with All In Teck a 23/1 tote chance and the third placegetter Leeholme an 88/1 tote roughie.

Former Cup-class performer Future Assets, making his first appearance for 14 months after damaging a suspensory ligament, was favourite at 6/4 on from his favourable barrier at No. 2. But he galloped badly and lost 40m. He raced at the rear and finished 11th.

Seven-year-old Kinky Village, who started at 101/1 on the tote, was claimed by Chris Popov. Kinky Village raced at the rear and finished tenth.

 “FUNNY HORSE” DAVY MAGUIRE LIKES TO LEAD 

Davy Maguire, described by reinsman Gary Hall jun. as a “funny horse who only does his best when he leads,” again relished his role as pacemaker when he proved too strong for 5/2 on favourite In The Force in the 2130m Finbar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

It was the New Zealand-bred five-year-old’s fourth win from 12 WA starts, after he had won at six of his 17 New Zealand starts. He had set the pace when successful at his three previous WA victories.

The win gave Hall and his father, trainer Gary Hall sen. the first leg of a double. They combined to win with Ella Sue later in the program.

Davy Maguire, backed from 6/1 to 11/4, raced wide early and was able to get to the outside of the pacemaker Jilliby Lightning before 5/2 on favourite In The Force was able to get to that position.

In The Force (Colin Brown) continued to press forward, three wide, before Gall got Davy Maguire to the front 1200m from home. This left In The Force to do all the work without cover.

In The Force battled on gamely, but was well held in the final stages by Davy Maguire, a half-brother to handy pacers Finn Mac Cumhail and Niobium.

Finn Mac Cumhail had 114 starts for 15 wins, 26 placings and stakes of $73,994. He won once in New Zealand and once in South Australia before winning 13 times in WA. Niobum won twice in New Zealand and eight times in New South Wales, earning $78,462. Davy Maguire now has had 29 starts for ten wins, six placings and $97,006 in stakes.

 TREBLE HAS LEWIS WELL CLEAR OF HIS RIVALS 

Talented mare Slick Lavra unwound a powerful finishing burst to win the Global CNY Fireworks Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night to complete a treble for star reinsman Chris Lewis.

Lewis, who had been successful with his two previous drives, behind Has The Answers and Our Mercurio, is on top of the State and metropolitan drivers’ lists.

He has driven 66 metropolitan winners and leads by 11 from arch rival Gary Hall jun. He leads the State list with 104 winners from Hall (69), Morgan Woodley (61), Shannon Suvaljko (55) and Colin Brown (53).

Gary Hall sen. is the leading metropolitan trainer with 48 winners, 15 ahead of Ross Olivieri.

The New Zealand-bred Slick Lavra, who raced successfully in Victoria, has been in devastating form for Olivieri since arriving in WA. Her first five WA starts have produced four wins and a second placing.

Favourite at 6/4 on, Slick Lavra started from the outside barrier on Friday night and Lewis immediately restrained her to the rear. She moved forward, following the three-wide run of Rich Babe, to be eighth at the bell.

The pacemaker Dekker Diamond began to wilt in the home straight, and Pacific Jaccka, who had raced in the breeze for much of the journey, took the lead 100m from the post. However, Pacific Jaccka had no answer to the flying Slick Lavra, who swept to the front with 40m to travel.

Last-start all-the-way winner Copper Beach Girl, who raced two back on the pegs, rattled home late to finish third ahead of Dekker Diamond.

Our Mercurio, backed from 5/4 to 5/4 on, mustered plenty of pace to get to the front after 400m in the Ertech Pace over 2503m. He bowled along in the lead before sprinting the final 800m in 57.7sec.

Punters had a scare in the closing stages when Waikawa Bay (9/2), who had led early and then trailed the pacemaker, finished with a powerful late sprint to fail by 1m.

Our Mercurio, a four-year-old trained by Greg Bond, has won at nine of his 23 starts. He won six times from 13 New Zealand starts, was placed once from four Victorian starts and now has had six starts in WA for three wins and two placings.