DON’T DISCOUNT AUCKLAND REACTOR WARNS BUTT
The $1 million final of the V75 interdominion pacing championship is definitely not simply a contest between champions Im Themightyquinn and Smoken Up, according to star New Zealand reinsman Anthony Butt.
“They don’t give these finals away and it’s not a two-horse race by any means,” Butt said after driving New Zealand superstar Auckland Reactor to a convincing victory in the sixth heat of the series at Gloucester Park on Monday night.
Auckland Reactor was the fastest of the four heat winners on the second night of the carnival and after the first eight heats the brilliant seven-year-old, Im Themightyquinn and Smoken Up are the only undefeated pacers in the series.
This trio of equine millionaires heads the points table with the maximum of 26 points. They are followed by local hope Crombie (23), Can Return Fire (18), Raglan (17), Mr Feelgood (16), Mysta Magical Mach and Dasher VC (15), Rocket Reign and Lombo Navigator (14) and Has The Answers.
Washakie, who finished second to Auckland Reactor on the opening night last Friday night, faded badly after a tough run in the fifth heat on Monday night and finished last to have only a total of 11 points.
After noted speedster Has The Answers galloped badly at the start, Auckland Reactor burst to the front after 200m and was untroubled to set the pace and win the 2100m heat by 2m from the gallant Mr Feelgood, with Can Return Fire producing another powerful finish to be third.
Auckland Reactor rated 1.55.3 over the 2100m journey after sprinting the final 800m in 55.5sec. and the last 400m in 27.5sec.
Mr Feelgood, second favourite at 7/2 behind Auckland Reactor (7/4 on) did all the hard work, racing in the breeze outside Auckland Reactor.
“Auckland Reactor is a lovely horse to drive,” Butt said. “He gets into a lovely rhythm and when he does that he’s a real powerhouse. Actually I was pretty easy on him over the final 100m. He had them covered. He looks great and is heading in the right direction.
“I didn’t totally count on him leading. He’s had good gate speed at home, but on the first night here he got a lost behind the gates. The gates here are a bit slower than normal. But tonight he felt really good up on the gates and I thought he was always going to get out really well.”
Butt paid tribute to Auckland Reactor’s trainer Mark Purdon, who has remained in New Zealand to look after his big team of pacers and has given the task of looking after the stallion in Perth to Logan Hollis.
“Mark is a fantastic trainer, probably one of the best trainers we’ve ever seen in Australasia,” he said. “He wouldn’t have been worrying about the first set of heats. He would have had the final in mind, and Logan is doing a great job with him here.
“The horse has really settled in and the series is working out beautifully for him He’s had two not-too-hard runs and has got big points on the board.”
IM THEMIGHTYQUINN GIVES HIS FOLLOWERS ANXIOUS MOMENTS
Local star Im Themightyquinn gave his legion of followers some anxious moments before exploding away from his rivals and cruising to an effortless victory in the eighth heat of the V75 interdominion pacing championship at Gloucester Park on Monday night.
Gary Hall jun. had him perfectly poised in the one-out and one-back position before the gelding became badly hemmed in as the field passed the bell.
Hall had an armful of horse but with nowhere to go when Rocket Reign dashed forward, three wide, approaching the bell. This run was followed by the 6/1 second favourite Dasher VC and punters groaned when they saw the 8/1 on favourite hopelessly blocked for a run.
However, approaching the 500m mark in the back straight Hall eased Im Themightyquinn into the three-wide line, forcing Dasher VC wider and to race roughly.
Once in the clear, Im Themightyquinn unleashed his trademark dazzling finishing burst to charge to the front in the home straight and dash away to win by a length from Mysta Magical Mach (10/1), with the pacemaker David Hercules (14/1) just more than another length away in third place. Rocket Reign was fourth and Dasher VC ran on, out wide, to be fifth.
After the final event on the program the stewards held a lengthy inquiry in a bid to resolve the last-lap incident involving Im Themightyquinn and Dasher VC.
Chairman of stewards Bill Delaney said that the stewards’ panel had inquired into the reason for Dasher VC racing roughly in the back straight in the final circuit.
“It was established that Hall had moved to the three-wide position to the inside of Dasher VC, with Chris Lewis resisting any further outward shift from Hall’s horse, and as a result there was wheel-to-wheel pressure,” Delaney said.
“As Im Themightyquinn got the better of Dasher VC the wheel-to-wheel pressure was relieved and there was slight contact to the hind leg of Dasher VC, who raced roughly. The stewards were unable to apportion the blame for the incident and they felt that both drivers played a part in the incident.” No action was taken.
Mark Reed was able to give David Hercules a very easy run in front and the five-year-old was able to stroll through the first two 400m sections of the final mile in 32.1sec. and 31.1sec. The third quarter went by in 28.5sec. and Im Themightyquinn dashed over the final 400m in 27.1sec. and rated a modest 1.58.1 over the 2100m.
“The last thing we wanted tonight was a gut buster, but we also needed to get points,” Hall said. “Im Themightyquinn was in a good spot early, but then we just had to get out down the back in the last lap. Then I actually sort of steadied him round the bend, just to keep him balanced and making sure he was doing it on the bit and not getting off balance and hanging in.
“He’s got this unbelievable turn of foot and an unbelievable will to get his head in front. And combine the two and it gets a bit scary. He’s going that quick and all you can think about is keeping him balanced and wait until you straighten up.
“That’s what he did tonight and he does it all on his own. It’s just a matter of timing it right.”
SMOKEN UP FENDS OFF LATE CHALLENGE FROM CROMBIE
Western Australian pacer Crombie had the crowd at Gloucester Park on Monday night screaming with disbelief when he unleashed a sizzling burst to move within a neck of champion and 8/1 on favourite Smoken Up in the seventh heat of the V75 interdominion pacing championship.
Crombie, second favourite at 7/1, was eighth at the bell before Chris Lewis urged him forward, three wide, at the 650m mark. The five-year-old sustained a powerful burst to almost get on terms with Smoken Up on the home turn.
But Smoken Up showed why he has earned just under $3 million by resisting the spirited challenge and going on to win by a half-length from Crombie, with Russley Rascal (20/1) finishing a sound third.
Russley Rascal led for the first 250m before John Justice sent Smoken Up to the front to set a moderate pace, with the first two 400m sections of the final mile going by in 30.3sec. and 29.4sec.
When Crombie was making his fast move down the back straight, Justice got busy and drove Smoken Up vigorously. The champion responded grandly and Justice needed only to give the nine-year-old four taps with the whip from about the 120m mark to 90m from home to guarantee victory.
Smoken Up covered the final 800m in a brisk 56sec. and rated 1.55.5 over the 2100m.
“This horse seems to just wait for them and when they come to him he just finds a bit more,” Justice said. “The sectionals tell it all. He came home in 27.5sec. and even though he looked like he was struggling, he still got to the line strongly.
“You’ve got to be a bit careful with him; you don’t want to get caught napping and someone dive bombs you. We made sure that if anyone was going to beat him, they would have to earn it. Everything is on track.”
RAGLAN BOUNCES BACK WITH HIS NARROW VI
New Zealand six-year-old Raglan bounced back into contention for the $1 million final of the V75 interdominion pacing championship when he set the pace and held on doggedly to beat Lombo Navigator in the fifth heat of the series over 2100m at Gloucester Park on Monday night.
“The 2506m of the final will suit him better,” declared reinsman Anthony Butt. “He’s a complete racehorse and can follow a solid pace. If the good ones get some bad luck and he has some good luck he can beat any horse in Australasia.
“He’s a good stayer as he showed when he went super in the Fremantle Cup. The distance of the final won’t worry him.”
Raglan finished powerfully from the rear when second to Im Themightyquinn in the 2906m Fremantle Cup last month and then he was a most unlucky sixth behind Crombie in a 1700m heat of the championship last Friday night when he was hopelessly blocked for a clear passage throughout the final circuit.
“He needed to earn some good points and it probably wasn’t his ideal scenario doing what he did tonight, setting the pace. But I had to take luck out of the equation and he had to make his own luck tonight.”
Polemarker Lombo Pocket Watch was the early leader before Butt urged Raglan, the 6/4 on favourite, forward to assume control 750m after the start. Washakie, second fancy at 6/4, settled in the one-out and one-back position before John McCarthy took him three wide at 550m.
But Washakie’s bid to take the lead was foiled by Raglan and Washakie then was forced to work hard in the breeze.
Washakie began to wilt soon after passing the bell and Gary Hall jun. sent Saucy Legend (12/1) forward from the rear for that horse to move alongside the pacemaking Raglan 500m from home. It was then that Matt White started a three-wide move with Lombo Navigator (16/1) after he had enjoyed a perfect trail, one-out and one-back.
Raglan skipped away to lead by two lengths passing the 100m mark, but he just held on to score by a head from Lombo Navigator, with Lombo Pocket Watch battling on gamely into third place after trailing the pacemaker. The final 800m was covered in 56.5sec. and the winner rated 1.55.5.
Washakie faded badly to finish a conspicuous last in the field of nine. Trainer-driver John McCarthy informed the stewards that he was extremely disappointed with the veteran gelding’s performance. He said that he felt Washakie had not fully recovered from his very hard run in an opening-round heat last Friday night when he set the pace and was put under great pressure for most of the 1700m journey by Sneakyn Down Under.
McCarthy said that he would have blood tests taken and would report the findings to the stewards.
“Now for the Caduceus Club Classic on Friday week,” declared leading trainer Gary Hall sen. after his son Gary had driven star three-year-old Gracias Para Nada to a runaway victory in the Bio-John Pace over 2100m at Gloucester Park on Monday night.
Gracias Para Nada started at 11/4 on and beat the brilliant Western Cullen (9/4) by five lengths at a 1.57.8 rate over 2100m to remain unbeaten at his four starts, all over 2100m at Gloucester Park, in his three-year-old season after he had won at two of his six starts as a two-year-old.
“He’s a very smart horse and he’s got the potential to become a star performer,” Hall sen. said. He’s 17 hands and is very light and is growing all the time. He eats everything you give him, but he doesn’t show anything for it. I’m predicting he’s going to get better.”
Hall jun. was full of praise for the gelding after he had raced very wide early to take the lead after 500m and then set a solid pace.
“They don’t come around very often, horses like Gracias Para Nada,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve found the bottom of him yet. That was pleasing tonight. He relaxed and I was still able to wake him up when I wanted to.
“He got a bit keen coming out of the gate, but when he found the front he was nice and calm. He’s a horse who loves a fight. If another horse gets up alongside and sort of eyeballs him, that’s when he really will push himself right out and go at his best.
“You don’t often find that in a three-year-old race when you’re going 1.57. But when the time comes and he meets the better ones when they’re fully fit and firing, he’s going to have to do that.”
Western Cullen, unbeaten at his first three starts in Australia as a two-year-old, was three back on the pegs in fifth place at the bell before getting clear late and finishing strongly to be second, with Livelong And Prosper (33/1) impressing in coming home strongly from last at the 700m mark to move into second place 90m from the post and battle on to be third.
by Ken Casellas
