Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett experienced the highs and lows of harness racing on Friday when his WA Pacing Cup hopeful Fanci A Dance was seriously injured in the morning before stablemate Three Rumours scored a fighting victory in the $22,000 Catalano Truck And Equipment Sales Kenwick Pace at Gloucester Park in the evening.
Howlett was bitterly disappointed at Fanci A Dance’s misfortune, particularly because the veteran pacer was performing in career-best form and Howlett, who bred, owns and trains the gelding, was confident he would perform strongly in the Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup.
Fanci A Dance’s past ten starts at Gloucester Park had produced two wins, four seconds and two thirds, boosting his career record to 84 starts for 15 wins, 21 seconds, nine thirds and $181,190 in prizemoney.
“This morning during his normal fast workout at home Fanci A Dance put in a wrong step and galloped,” said Howlett. “He suffered two fractured bones in his nearside hind leg. There are two big cracks right down the cannon bone, and he’s going to the vet’s to have screws inserted.
“Not only is this the end of his Cup hopes, but at his age (nine) he probably will not race again. He is a lovely horse, and he has been going so good that I was really looking forward to the big Cups.”
Three Rumours will be set for the $50,000 Christmas Belles next Friday week after enduring a tough run and winning Friday night’s $22,000 event for mares.
Three Rumours, driven by Chris Lewis, was the $3.10 second fancy, with the polemarker Simply Shaz the $3 favourite.
Simply Shaz was beaten out by the flying $4.60 chance Special Lady, who began from the No. 5 barrier and burst to the front after 100m. Lewis then sent Three Rumours forward, three wide, to race in the breeze.
Three Rumours got to the front 250m from home, and Trent Wheeler was able to Ease Simply Shaz off the pegs and into the clear 30m later. Simply Shaz ran home determinedly and finished a head behind Three Rumours in second place. Just For Love, a $71 outsider and trained by Howlett, finished strongly from ninth at the bell to be third.
The final 400m sections were covered in 28.7sec. and 28.6sec. and the winner rated 1.57.7 over the 2130m. The New Zealand-bred Three Rumours has earned $73,327 from five wins, 12 seconds and one third placing from 23 starts.
“She is still very green,” said Howlett. “Last week she went roughly early when trying to hold out Eighteen Carat, and tonight she wanted to pull up after hitting the front. However, she is a very good mare, and she will be one of the State’s best mares next year.”
Three Rumours is by Mach Three and is the third foal out of the unraced Bettors Delight mare Boom Time Baby whose dam This Time Franco had 36 starts for ten wins, 11 placings and $249,151. This Time Franco won two Group 2 feature events at Alexandra Park in 1992 and also won a Group 1 event at Addington the following year.