Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
It was a one-act affair when Cyclone Jordy annihilated his rivals in the $150,000 Golden Slipper at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and now the gelding will go for a spell, with master trainer Gary Hall Snr declaring that the rich WA Derby towards the end of next year would be foremost on his agenda.
“He is a real professional and a top-class horse, and the main aim will be the Derby,” said Hall, who is planning for Cyclone Jordy to follow in the footsteps of Beaudiene Boaz, who won the 2014 Golden Slipper before winning the Derby the following year.
Hall prepared Beaudiene Boaz for those Group 1 victories, and he said: “Cyclone Jordy is faster than Beaudiene Boaz, but I don’t know yet whether he will stay as well.”
Cyclone Jordy gave Hall his third win in the Golden Slipper, with his first success coming when he drove Love Of Glory to victory in 1989. For Hall Jnr Friday night’s win was his third in the Slipper, coming after Beaudiene Boaz and Never Ending in 2022.
“Never Ending was so brilliant, but he tended to overrace,” he said. “Cyclone Jordy is a much more professional two-year-old. He is the best mannered and probably the best driving horse in our stable, let alone two-year-olds.
“I think that’s a reason why he is as good as he is, and he has got such a good turn of foot. He went 28.1sec. and 27.8sec. (over the final 400m sections) and I didn’t move on him.”
Cyclone Jordy, the $1.04 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, burst straight to the front and was able to amble through the lead time in 38sec. and the opening quarters in 31.2sec. and 30.2sec. before dashing over the final 800m in 55.9sec. without being extended. He rated 1.57.4 over the 2130m.
Como El Viento ($34) and Belly Up ($41) broke soon after the start, and Xpress Party ($31) was checked and broke, while Deni Roberts quickly dashed the $20 third fancy Captainshavtime forward and into the breeze, with the $16 second favourite Last Hard Copy trailing the leader.
Reinette ($51) was given a perfect trip in the one-out, one-back position by Trent Wheeler, and she finished solidly to be second, 10m behind Cyclone Jordy, with Captainshavtime finishing a meritorious third.
Cyclone Jordy was a $70,000 yearling in New Zealand where he had five starts for three wins, a second placing and $81,738, and was sold for $400,000 to Greg Richardson, John Fairweather, Steve Waters and Rob Patriarca. He has earned an additional $98,188 for his new owners from his two wins from two starts in WA.
For Victorian Fairweather, he has no regrets about his decision just over two years ago to resume as an owner after an absence of more than 20 years.
“John rang me from Melbourne and out of the blue a couple of years ago and said he had discovered that I was trying to buy the four-year-old mare Bettor Talk Art from New Zealand,” said Hall Snr.
“I didn’t know him from a bar of soap, and I told him that I had already bought the mare. He then said he would like to buy a pacer from New Zealand, or a share in one.”
Bettor Talk Art came to Hall’s stable in March 2022 with a record of 19 starts for six wins, nine placings and $143,381. But she broke down and was retired to the breeding barn after not racing in WA.
Fairweather is now a proud part-owner of Cyclone Jordy, who is the fourth pacer he has been associated with the Hall stable. He is also a part-owner of talented pacers Skylou, Mister Smartee and Hes Never Been Beta.
Cyclone Jordy is by renowned sire Art Major and is the third foal out of Mach Three mare Cyclone Kate, who earned $341,723 from 21 wins and 18 placings from 60 starts. Cyclone Kate’s first foal is Cyclone Charlotte, who has raced successfully in WA and has earned $178,744 from ten wins and 16 placings from 32 starts.