WOODLEY SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY WITH ANOTHER ONE FOR ME

WOODLEY SEIZES THE OPPORTUNITY WITH ANOTHER ONE FOR ME

Brilliant young reinsman Morgan Woodley seized the opportunity and made the most of a chance drive behind Another One For Me to guide the eight-year-old and only mare in the event to a stylish victory in the $35,000 Find Thirty Every Day Lord Mayor’s Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Henley Brook trainer Chelsey Harding engaged the 23-year-old Woodley to handle Another One For Me when the mare’s regular reinsman Mark Reed opted to drive David Hercules in the group 3 event he had won three times before --- with Skippers Trick, Rich And Spoilt and Tricky Vic.      

David Hercules was plunged from 5/4 to 7/4 on, while Another One For Me, despite the distinct advantage of the No. 1 barrier, was a 14/1 shot who returned tote odds of 52/1.

Woodley drove a perfect race and brought Another One For Me home with a well-timed burst to win by almost a length from Aussie Reactor (4/1), with superstar millionaire pacer Lombo Pocket Watch (7/2) finishing a close third. David Hercules raced wide in the early stages and then enjoyed a good sit, one-out and one-back, before wilting to seventh.

The surprise win gave Woodley his third victory in the Lord Mayor’s Cup after successes with Taihape Tickler in 2006 and Mysta Magical Mach in 2009.

Woodley, driving Another One For Me for the first time, opted out of the early battle for the lead and the mare settled down in fifth position, three back on the pegs. Newcomer Lively Highlander charged to the front after 150m before Gary Hall jun. urged Aussie Reactor into the lead after 500m.

Lombo Pocket Watch got to the breeze after 900m and when Has The Answers made a fast move, out wide, down the back straight in the final circuit to move into third place with 350m to travel Another One For Me was under lock and key in sixth place.

Woodley then cleverly angled Another One For Me off the pegs and she finished powerfully, three wide, to hit the front 30m from the post. The final 800m was covered in 57sec. and Another One For Me rated 1.57.5 over the 2506m journey to boost her record to 83 starts for 12 wins and 23 placings for stakes of $128,930.

Another One For Me, bred in New Zealand by Graham Bond, won three times in New Zealand before Bond recommended her to Harding early in 2009.

“I convinced Chelsey one day when I was sitting in Reedy’s smoko room to come over and have a look at Another One For Me running third to Im Themightyquinn in New Zealand,” Bond said. “When they saw that run they sat up and took notice.

“I had leased the mare to my next door neighbour, who won two races with her. The lease was about to run out and I wanted to bring her over to Western Australia. I recognised Chelsey’s potential as a trainer and wanted someone who would treat my horses nicely and look after them and love them, rather than knocking them around.”

So Chelsey, her husband Greg, her brother Trent Cooper and close friend Ben Dyer agreed to take a 50-50 lease of the mare. Another One For Me won seven races for the new connections before becoming sore in July 2010. After the mare had spent 12 months in the paddock Bond renewed the lease on a more favourable 60-40 basis because the lessee owners had shared the expense of looking after the mare during her recuperation.

During her time away from the racetrack Another One For Me got into foal to American stallion Dawn Ofa New Day. But she failed to produce, losing the foal after about only six weeks.

So a comeback racing campaign was put into action and Another One For Me has had nine starts this time in for two wins. This will be her final season on the racetrack before going to the breeding barn.

Her WA record stands at 44 starts for nine wins, 12 placings and stakes of $97,481. Friday night’s victory gave Chelsey Harding her first victory as a trainer in a Cup event. She prepared Aussie Attack when he finished second to Subabrew in the 2007 Easter Cup at Gloucester Park.

Chelsey and Greg Harding became friends with Dyer when they were students at the University of WA. Greg Harding played football for Claremont as well as for the Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles. He is now in his second year as coach of the Swan Districts league side.

Dyer, who shared the ownership of The Smooth Operator with the Hardings and Cooper, is the new coach of the Claremont colts side after working as the head coach of the Brisbane Lions academy last year.

“I hadn’t driven her before tonight and didn’t really know what to expect,” said an excited Woodley after Friday night’s Cup. “But Chelsey and Trent were confident that she would run a good race. Probably on paper I thought she was a good place chance if things fell in her favour.

“Being three back on the pegs and running home in 57sec. and getting over the top of them is a terrific performance. And full credit to Chelsey for a great training performance.”

Hall said he was surprised that Another One For Me had beaten Aussie Reactor, declaring that he thought he had the race won when Aussie Reactor was holding Lombo Pocket Watch at bay throughout the final lap.

“Then I saw the pink colours coming and I thought it was Has The Answers,” Hall said. “He’s the only horse who is going to beat me, I thought, especially if he had had a soft run on the pegs. Then I took another look and it wasn’t the pink of Has The Answers. It was the pink of Another One For Me. I couldn’t believe it.”

FLYING START PAVES THE WAY FOR ELITE ANGEL

WA-bred five-year-old Elite Angel gave convincing proof that she will be a leading light in feature events for mares this season when she gave a sparkling frontrunning display to crush her rivals in the 2100m Find Thirty Waltzing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The Ron Huston-trained mare was driven with supreme confidence by Shannon Suvaljko, who dashed her straight to the front from barrier four.

After a brisk lead time of 34.7sec., Suvaljko was able to slacken the pace and Elite Angel strolled through the first 400m section of the final mile in a leisurely 32.1sec. and then the next quarter in an easy 30.8sec.

She then gave her rivals no chance by speeding over the final two quarters in 28.4sec. and 28.5sec. to win by two lengths at a 1.58.4 rate over 2100m from Kamwood Girl, who had trailed her throughout. Wrongly Accused, who raced in the breeze over the final 1550m, fought on grandly to be third      

Ohokas Bondy (5/2) and Scan Air (2/1) settled at the rear before they were sent forward 1300m from home to follow the three-wide run of Tosti Boy. Tosti Boy battled on to finish fourth, with Ohokas Bondy fifth and Scan Air sixth.

Wide barriers and second-line draws at her five previous starts had prevented Elite Angel from making use of her sparkling early speed. “We haven’t used her gate speed for ages,” Suvaljko said. “But she has blistering gate speed and she is one of the fastest horses I’ve driven out of the gate. She relaxed really well tonight and running a 56.9sec. last half meant she was going to prove very hard to beat.”

Elite Angel, a 7/1 chance with bookmakers, paid odds of 13/1 on the tote. She is owned by Patrick O’Boyle, Jeremy, David and Graham Skelton and Nikki Dillon and has earned $72,998 from ten wins and four placings from only 31 starts and looks capable of emulating the deeds of her half-brother Son of Fergie, who has had 69 starts for 15 wins and 20 placings for stakes of $207,739.

SPARKLING SEELSTER MAKES PERFECT METROPOLITAN DEBUT

A tinge of sadness surrounded the impressive victory by Sparkling Seelster at his metropolitan debut at Gloucester Park on Friday night. The four-year-old’s dam Sally Anna fractured a leg in a Boyanup paddock a few weeks ago and had to be put down.

The lightly-raced Sparkling Seelster, bred and owned by the Mango Syndicate, managed by Peter Monteath, is the first of the progeny of Sally Anna to race and he looks set for a bright career for Boyanup trainer Kim Prentice.

His decisive victory over The Feather Foot and Dainty Lace in the 2506m Find Thirty Jiving Pathway Pace took his earnings to $23,829 from his six wins from nine starts.

A well-supported favourite at 7/4, Sparkling Seelster settled in ninth position, just in front of 5/2 second fancy The Feather Foot as polemarker Dainty Lace set the early pace.

Justin Prentice then made the winning move by dashing Sparkling Seelster forward to burst to the front with two laps to travel, leaving The Feather Foot in ninth position.

Chris Brew then dashed The Feather Foot forward, three wide, with 1450m to travel. The Feather Foot moved into the breeze at the 1300m mark and he battled on determinedly to finish an excellent second. The final 800m was covered in 58.4sec. and Sparkling Seelster rated 1.59.6.

“My aim was to stay in front of the main danger The Feather Foot,” Justin Prentice explained. “I was happy to sit in the breeze. But when a horse has got a reputation, then they seem to like to look after you a bit and let you go to the front. So it worked out good.

“It was a sad day when we lost Sally Anna. However, we have her next two foals.”

Sally Anna’s final foals are Elishgood, a three-year-old filly, and Feisty Grin, a two-year-old filly. Elishgood (by Elsu) had three starts as a two-year-old and impressed in winning a race at Pinjarra last February by almost eight lengths.

Sally Anna was a smart performer for Kim Prentice, earning $59,428 from ten wins and 15 placings from just 37 starts. She was out of Our Sally, who had 79 starts in Victoria in the 1980s for 12 wins, 25 placings and stakes of $27,331.

Ross Keys, who drove Arch On Fire into fourth place behind Sparkling Seelster on Friday night, was suspended for 19 days and 21 days for causing interference twice in the final lap. The stewards ruled that the suspensions be served concurrently.

Keys was found guilty of causing interference to Pure Velocity (Brad Stampalia) on the turn out of the back straight. Pure Velocity was forced on to Jett Dee (Nathan Turvey), forcing that pacer to break. Then Keys was found at fault for allowing Arch On Fire to shift out in the run to the finish, causing interference to Twisk (Tim Earnshaw). For this offence Keys was suspended for 21 days.

TURISMO GIVES DOUGLAS HIS FIRST CITY TRAINING SUCCESS

New Zealand-born Revell Douglas, manager of the Pinjarra Harness Racing Club, landed his first city winner as a trainer when Turismo set the pace and beat The Dog Soldier and Arden Bannister in the 2503m Find Thirty Prancing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.     

Turismo, backed from 9/4 to favouritism at 6/4, simply carried too many guns for his rivals after Robbie Williams sent him straight to the front. The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old relished the pacemaking role and sprinted the final 800m in 57.8sec. to score by just under a length at a 2.2.6 rate.

Turismo’s task was made easier when polemarker Interceptor galloped badly at the start and dropped back to last. To Transcend raced in the breeze from the 1450m mark before wilting to sixth.

Turismo, who is raced by the 37-year-old Revell in partnership with Dudley Parker, Phillip McMullen, Lisa Gardiner, Kim Tuckey and Cally Ellis, has been a model of consistency since entering Revell’s Pinjarra stables last winter.

A winner of three races from 89 New Zealand starts, Turismo has earned $38,084 from his 13 WA starts which have produced five wins and seven placings.

VETERAN TEE PEE VILLAGE ENDS 31-MONTH DROUGHT

Ten-year-old pacer Tee Pee Village had to strain every sinew to scramble to a narrow victory over stablemate McGintysgoat in the 2100m Find Thirty Leaping Claiming Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

His fighting victory ended a 31-month drought and broke a losing sequence of 18.

Tee Pee Village’s victory at 4/1 over even money favourite McGintysgoat and Alby Albert (6/1) gave 40-year-old Byford trainer Peter Tilbrook his first trifecta. Tilbrook’s other runners, Arma Harris (7/1) and Bubbles And Bling (10/1) finished seventh and tenth, respectively.

McGintysgoat led from barrier two, with Alby Albert taking the trail. Tee Pee Village started from barrier six and raced three wide for the first 600m before Chris Lewis got him into the breeze. Tee Pee Village took a narrow lead 120m from home and he and McGintysgoat were locked together over the final stages, with Tee Pee Village gaining the verdict by 0.5m.

Tee Pee Village, a bargain buy for Neven Botica, has earned $186,562 from three wins in New Zealand, eight in New South Wales (all at Harold Park) and seven times in WA. His previous victory was at Gloucester Park in June 2009.

“I thought he was going to find it hard tonight, with McGintysgoat the likely leader,” Lewis said. “I didn’t think we’d be able to get over him. But this bloke stuck it out well and put his head in front at the right time. He’s not getting any younger, but hopefully he can maintain his form.”

GALVERON GROWS A LEG (OR TWO) IN FRONT

Victorian-bred Galveron ended a losing sequence of 12 and recorded his first victory for 13 months when he relished the role of pacemaker in winning the 2096m Find Thirty Skipping Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“It was a bit of a drop in class and he’s a different horse in front,” said Mark Reed after driving the eight-year-old Galveron to a 4m victory over 20/1 chance Miss Azooma. “He grows about two legs when he’s able to lead and he was never going to get beaten once he found the top.

“I didn’t let him go until the top of the straight and I didn’t realise that he had a 27.2sec. quarter in him. Generally he’s one-paced, but he was on the ball tonight.”

Galveron, trained by Reed’s father Mike, was solidly supported from 7/4 to 5/4 favouritism and he now has had 20 starts in WA for four wins and seven placings. He also won 11 times from 64 starts in Victoria and has earned $112,440 in prizemoney. His dam Alantique earned $89,670 from 11 wins and 28 placings from 61 Victorian starts.

Supporters of Galveron were perhaps fortunate to collect. A false start was declared when the 10m barrier stand failed to release. Galveron had galloped at the start and had lost three lengths. He was on his best behaviour at the second attempt and Reed sent him past Miss Azooma and into the lead 150m after the start.

MENELAUS OF SPARTA PROVES TURVEY WRONG

“I scratched my head when we first got him and thought it might be a tough job,” Baldivis trainer-reinsman Nathan Turvey said after he had driven inexperienced WA-bred four-year-old Menelaus of Sparta to victory in the 2100m Find Thirty Dancing pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“But he has proved me wrong and has won three from four. I don’t think he’s that strong and tonight I didn’t want to get involved in early speed battles. So I just took a punt (by taking the sit behind the pacemaker Livingisfun) and it paid off.”

Menelaus of Sparta started from the prized No. 1 barrier and was a firm favourite at 5/4 after wins at Williams and Pinjarra at two of his three previous starts.

Barmy Army, third favourite at 5/1, surged forward to race without cover 500m after the start and he got to a narrow lead 220m from the post. Turvey had eased Menelaus of Sparta off the pegs with 270m to travel and the Northern Luck gelding finished fast to hit the front 60m from the post and went on to win by just over a length from Barmy Army. Alderbaran Swannee (10/1) ran on from sixth on the pegs at the bell to be third.

Menelaus of Sparta, raced by Mark Armstrong, David Denehey, Steven Perry and Craig Rogers, now has had 20 starts for seven wins and four placings for stakes of $35,938.

His dam Just Helen won three times from 20 starts in WA in 2000 and her first four foals are all winners. Ultimate Hanover has won six races, Silent Amour has won once and Twisk four times, with Menelaus of Sparta looking certain to improve on his excellent record.

Menelaus of Sparta is related to former smart mare Jamcaro, who earned $139,870 from 15 wins and 24 placings from 89 starts.

A SLICE OF LUCK HELPS HOWZAT FIRE TO WIN FOR REED

Ace reinsman Mark Reed admitted that luck was on his side after driving outsider Howzat Fire to a surprise victory in the 2100m Find Thirty Jumping Pathway Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

First, Howzat Fire began speedily from barrier five, but was forced wide before moving into the breeze position. But then the 5/4 on favourite Anvil Attack took charge of his driver Colin Brown and the lead time went by in a scorching 33.7sec.

With Anvil Attack racing so fiercely the field spread out and Reed was able to ease Howzat Fire on to the pegs in third place. Anvil Attack sizzled through the first 400m section of the final mile in 28.6sec. and after a second quarter in 29.5sec. he held a 12-length lead over Shamrock Tango in second place at the bell, leaving Reed to enjoy a perfect trail behind Shamrock Tango.

After overracing so badly, Anvil Attack began to fade in the back straight the final time before Chris Voak sent Shamrock Tango to the front with 250m to travel. Reed then had the last shot and Howzat Fire burst to the front in the final 50m to score by 2m from Shamrock Tango.

Anvil Attack dropped back to finish well back in eighth place. Howzat Fire, a 14/1 chance with bookmakers, returned tote odds of 50/1.

“We were lucky to get across and lob three back on the fence and with the leader pulling like that it really put the race on for us,” Reed said. “Howzat Fire was unlucky last week when he never got a look in at all. He’ll probably win a couple more.”

The New Zealand-bred Howzat Fire, trained at Darling Downs by Kevin Nolan, has had 63 starts for ten wins, 12 placings and stakes of $52,907. After winning once in New Zealand as a two-year-old and four times in Victoria Howzat Fire has had 23 starts in WA for five wins and five placings.

ANOTHER EFFORTLESS VICTORY TO SENSATIONAL GABBY

Champion three-year-old filly Sensational Gabby continued on her merry winning way when she outclassed the opposition in the 2100m Find Thirty Every Day Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Favourite at 20/1 on, Sensational Gabby started from the outside of the back line and was restrained to the rear by Chris Lewis before she went forward, three wide, after 500m to move outside the pacemaker Legendary Lou with 1270m to travel.

Sensational Gabby charged to the front at the 250m mark and raced away to beat Legendary Lou by four and a half lengths at a 1.59.2 rate. Bonsu, who trailed the pacemaker throughout, fought on gamely to be third.

Sensational Gabby took her stakewinnings to $202,635 from her 12 wins and one second from 14 starts and she has a stranglehold on the rich WA Oaks this season.

“She has done it really well,” said Lewis. “She’s become an all-round racehorse this season and stepped up to the distance (2100m) well. Everything is going very well at the minute.

“She is right up there with the best fillies I’ve driven. You look at her times throughout her career; they’re exceptional. She’s really right up there with the best of them.”

CORTOPASSI MAKES A VERY WISE DECISION

When Franco Renegade ended a losing sequence of 17 eleven weeks ago his part-owner, trainer and driver Aldo Cortopassi contemplated selling him.

Now he is extremely glad he decided against those thoughts.

After Cortopassi drove Franco Renegade to a splendid last-to-first victory in the Find Thirty Grooving Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night he revealed his thoughts about selling him, saying: “After he won his M1 I thought he was going to struggle and was very tempted to sell him. Lucky I didn’t.”

Friday night’s victory was Franco Renegade’s fourth win from his past six starts and the New Zealand-bred five-year-old has graduated to a M6 mark with a record of 16 wins, 21 placings and stakes of $138,783 from 64 starts.

The race provided a most unusual spectacle for harness racing fans, with 3/1 second favourite Bus To Harland charging straight to the front and then racing fiercely. Shannon Suvaljko was unable to restrain the six-year-old who quickly established a lead of five lengths over Hi Tensile.

At the 1200m mark the hard-pulling Bus To Harland was eight lengths ahead of his nearest rival and this margin was extended to 12 lengths at the bell where Franco renegade, the 7/4 favourite, was still in last position in the field of eight.

Cortopassi switched Franco Renegade three wide with 600m to travel and the gelding moved to second 380m from home. But Bus To Harland was still five lengths in front passing the 250m mark. However, he then began to wilt and Franco Renegade swept past him 80m from the post before scoring by 2m from Armbro of Wagin, with Onedin Crusader running on into third place.

Bus To Harland battled on doggedly to finish sixth.

“I saw in the preliminary that Bus To Harland and the horses drawn one, two and three were all being revved up,” Cortopassi said. “So I was pretty confident that there was going to be a bit of early speed, but never that kind of speed.

“When they run hard up in front, they are always going to be vulnerable to a horse who can sprint like he (Franco Renegade) can.”

by Ken Casellas