Where do we start for highlights from Friday nights Gloucester Park meeting?
Do we start with the race record effort of Ohokas Bondy in winning the $125,000 Premier Suzuki Golden Slipper Stakes (2130 metres)?
Or do we start with Chris Lewis’s outstanding achievement of 2,000 Perth winners which was achieved when he guided Has The Answers to victory in the Premier Suzuki “We Survived The Hail” Pace (2130 metres), and was added to his 4,000 career win achievement during the week when he won with Secret Interlude last Tuesday?
Or do we look at Im Themightyquinn’s win in the Premier Suzuki “Swift Sport” Conditioned Pace (2503 metres), continuing his amazing career?
Or do we look at the outstanding spectacle that is WA harness racing?
Case in point, was there any further evidence of the quality of our product when Lombo Navigator never got near the pegs and still won the opening event the Premier Suzuki “Swift” 3YO Pace (2130 metres) and, what a strong win by Pablito in the Premier Suzuki “APV” Pace (2130 metres).
Or was it the launch of the WA Breeders Incentive Scheme”WABIS”?
Let’s start with Chris Lewis.
Over the years I have had the fortunate experience of interviewing Chris Lewis for community radio and various publications and one of the stories he tells is of his first winner Classic Eyre at Kapunda in South Australia.
His father Allen was down to drive the horse and was a 4/6 favourite, Chris’s Dad took ill and was replaced by Chris and the horse drifted in betting to 6/4, the horse duly won! It’s hard to imagine but Lewis only had six drives in that first year – all behind Classic Eyre and was never out of a place, including a couple of wins.
Little did he or anyone know the heights that he would scale.
A total of 40 Group 1 victories and two Inter Dominions followed.
On Friday night Lewis returned to receive the all clear with the strains of “Simply The Best” playing over the PA.
In a presentation by the WATA after the win of Has The Answers Lewis told of his wonderment when living in Adelaide of the great Dick Webster driving 1,000 career winners and of Vic Frost driving 100 winners in a season.
“At the time I was wondering how did they do that?” Lewis said at the presentation.
In a touch of things to come Chris Lewis drove a winner at the very next drive after his 2,000th winner when Premium Black won at Saturday’s Gloucester Park career penalty meeting , less than 24 hours after his milestone success.
Whatever recognition Chris Lewis receives it is richly deserved.
************************
Friday nights announcement of the WA Breeders Incentive Scheme “WABIS” looks set to give standardbred breeding a boost in WA.
Under the scheme breeders pay a $550.00 (Inc GST) fee for their foals and from that the breeders receive incentive payments everytime that horse wins a race as a 2 & 3yo.
For races worth $3,000 – $10,000 there is a $1,000 bonus, $10,000 – $50,000 a $2,000 bonus will be paid and for races worth $50,000 and above $5,000 will be paid, there is no limit to the amount of wins a horse may have and collect the bonus.
In addition breeders of 2008 – 2009 foals (2yos in 2010/11) will be eligible for a $1,000 first win bonus regardless of what age the win occurs.
There will also be two additional $50,000 Westbred Finals for 2YO’s in July 2011.
“It stacks up very well next to the Vic Bred scheme and will be run along similar lines to the WESTSPEED thoroughbred scheme,” co-organisers Terry Ferguson and Mike Hackett said.
************************
Whilst trainer Greg Bond and his wife Skye are on the East Coast campaigning with the likes of Millwood Meg, Ima Rocket Star and Money Twitch, the home fires have been kept burning bright by stable foreman Michael George.
For the second Friday night in a row Bond horses have won a double in Greg and Skye’s absence.
Last week Ohokas Bondy and Mister Odds On won, this week it was Group 1 glory when Ohokas Bondy won the $125,000 Premier Suzuki Golden Slipper Stakes (2130 metres).
In a strong performance which underlined the versatility of the former New Zealand bred gelding, Ohokas Bondy sat up on the outside of the $1.70 favourite Go West U Terror before hitting the front 250 metres out and winning by a half length.
Ohokas Bondy ran his last 800 metres in a slick 57.4 secs, mile rating 1.57.8 which took one second of the race record set by Disco Force in 2000.
At his first two starts in WA Ohokas Bondy had zapped his rivals to lead and win by a combined margin of 36.7 metres.
“After drawing barrier 7 we were always going to follow Go West U terror across the field and sit outside him , I just thought we were tougher than him, there was no point in going back,” Brown said after the race.
“He seemed to switch of a bit. He’s jumped out of the ground since he’s been here, when he first arrived Bondy said that he looked a bit tired but he has freshened him up.”
“The difference between his first up win at Narrogin and tonight has been marked, Michael has done a terrific job in Greg and Skye’s absence,” Brown continued.
As for the horses immediate future?
“We were going to send him to the paddock but he seems to have pulled up really well , I’ll talk to Greg , we might give him one more run,” Micheal George said.
A point emphasised on Saturday morning by Bond from Sydney.
“The major three-year-old races are a fair way away so we might have one or two more runs before sending him for a spell,” Bond reiterated.
Punters weren’t afraid to support Ohokas Bondy either as he was backed in from $4.10 into $2.60 on SuperTab.
Bond’s run of feature race successes could continue this Friday with Bond qualifying Motu Treasure (who won at Northam on Thursday) for the $35,000 Higgins Memorial at Gloucester Park and Ima Rocket Star in the $200,00 Chariots Of Fire at Sydney’s Menangle.
****************************
IM Themightyquinn won his second race in three starts (and was desperately unlucky on the other occasion) when he took out the Premier Suzuki “Swift Sport” Conditioned Pace (2503 metres).
Stepping safely from his 30 metre handicap Im Themightyquinn settled in the back half of the field before going three wide with 1300 metres to travel.
Sitting outside the leader Conte Centovalli with 800 metres to travel, Im Themightyquinn went to the front 500 metres from home , going onto win by eight metres.
The five-year-old took his stake earnings to just over $707,700 and it was his 18th win in 53 starts.
“He felt good tonight, he went really super,” driver Gary Hall (jnr) said.
“Dads trying to space his runs but his main aim the Miracle Mile isn’t until November so we’ll probably have to give him another three runs prior,” Hall(jnr) concluded.
******************
LOMBO Navigator broke through the $100,000 stake earning barrier when he won his fourth successive race this campaign on Friday night.
Starting from outside the front line in the Premier Suzuki “Swift”3YO Pace (2130 metres), Lombo Navigator was three wide for the first 1300 metres of the race and no matter what driver Matt White tried to do he couldn’t get into the field. If he kicked up horses underneath him would hold up and keep him wide. If he tried to restrain and find a position in the field when spots opened he couldn’t. In the end he went forward and with 950 metres to go started to serve it up to the second favourite Master Metallica who had gone to the front .
Eventually Lombo Navigator found the front 450 metres from home, those watching the race were waiting to see a horse emerge from the ruck and challenge Lombo Navigator.
Free The Man emerged late but the race was won by then and Lombo Navigator won by two metres.
A measure of the quality of the performance can be seen in the sectional times.
The last four 400 metre sectionals were run in 29.8, 28.8, 29.6 and 29.9 secs for a 1.57.1 mile rate.
It was an exciting race that showcased all that is great about West Australian harness racing.
This Fridays clash with Motu Treasure and Bombora Lombo in the Higgins Memorial should be a beauty.
Five races later Pablito led in the Premier Suzuki “APV”Pace (2130 metres) and was challenged strongly by Truckers Ruff nut after 500 metres and put the speed on.
Pablito despite the early speed test was able to run away from his rivals with 250 metres to go and won by two lengths winning his 12th race and taking his stake earnings to past $110,000 in the process.
***********************************
SOON after finishing calling Friday nights John Higgins Memorial meeting at Gloucester Park caller Richard Bell will be on his way to Queensland to participate in a tribute meeting for Queensland’s harness racing calling icon David Fowler.
Fowler is going to replace Wayne Wilson who is retiring calling gallops for Radio TAB in Queensland.
Joining Bell in the tribute will be Jim Jacques from Adelaide, Dan Mielicki from Melbourne, New South Wales callers Fred Hastings and Kevin Thompson along with Fowlers replacement Chris Barsby.
“I am excited to have been asked to go and be with the calibre of callers that will be there,” Bell said.
Written by Robbie Dewar.
