Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Comeback reinsman Ryan Warwick continued a wonderful family tradition when he drove Alcopony to a dashing victory in the $50,000 Christmas Gift at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Warwick family has a strong affinity with the Christmas Gift, with the 45-year-old Warwick scoring his first win in the feature event with Saying Grace in 2018 to join his late grandfather Bill, his father Colin, his uncle Trevor and cousin Justin on this race’s honour board.
And Alcopony’s win gave 75-year-old Henley Brook trainer Kevin Keys his second Christmas Gift victory, following his success with Tuxedo Tour in 2014.
Ryan Warwick, who has finished second three times on the West Australian leading drivers’ list and has driven 1936 winners during his illustrious career, decided to take a break and retire from harness racing about 12 months ago, and he took up the position as the curator of the Pinjarra track.
“I didn’t think I’d come back this soon, if at all,” he said. “But a few months ago, my Dad asked me to help him with the preparation of a somewhat troublesome young pacer. I was going to the track early to drive this horse, but people saw me and began to ask me to drive their horses.
“You can’t go a hundred miles an hour all your life. So, now I’m enjoying taking a few drives. The world is going a bit slower, and the wheels turn a bit slower now — and that’s nice.”
Warwick drove Alcopony from the back line in the Golden Nugget last Friday week, and the four-year-old ran on from tenth at the bell to finish a creditable fifth behind Tricky Miki.
“After that race I told Kevin that I wished I had done a few things different. I thought his run was very good. I could’ve zigged when I zagged. Tonight (from the outside of the back line) I planned to go to the rail, but I decided to stay in the one-wide line.
“Tonight, I had to go (off three wide) at the 700m to get around the tiring Longreach Bay. On the home turn I didn’t think he had a lot left, but he kicked hard when Ardens Horizon was coming on along our inside.”
The left-handed Warwick dropped his whip on the turn into the home straight and he had to urge Alcopony by using the right rein to ask him for a special effort. It worked, and Alcopony, a $7.60 chance, won by a metre from Ardens Horizon ($4.40), with a neck to $23 chance Arma Xfactor, who settled in eleventh position, dashed forward to the breeze at the 1200m and took a narrow lead 220m from home from the $2.80 favourite and pacemaker Hoppys Way.
After a fast lead time of 34.9sec. during which Hoppys Way had to accelerate to fend off a spirited challenge from newcomer My Ultimate Chevron ($5.50), the pace slackened with an opening quarter of the final mile of 31.6sec. before the next sections were covered in 29.6sec., 28.7sec. and 29.4sec.
Alcopony, a four-year-old by American sire Betting Line, was bred by Keys, who races him in partnership with four stable clients. He now has raced 56 times for 12 wins, 20 placings and $209,295.
“Alcopony will sit on high speed and won’t drop off,” said Keys. “The better the company, the better he will go. He has now earned a couple of weeks off.”
The Warwick love affair with the Christmas Gift began when Bill Warwick prepared Swanky Lobell for his victory in December 1986 when that pacer was driven by his son Colin, who went on to drive Trunkey Limousine (trained by his brother Trevor) in the 1989 event.
Trevor then won the race as the trainer and driver with Innocent Mac (1995) and Hy Falutin (1999) while Justin (Trevor’s son) drove Ted Barry (1998) and Lord Miles (2001) to win the big race.
Meanwhile, Ryan Warwick will continue enjoying his work as the Pinjarra curator as well as taking a few drives. He holds the Australian record of winning nine races with nine successive drives, and he performed the rare feat of landing all six winners on the six-event program at Kellerberrin on October 2019.