Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Majestic Ga Ga is set to complete a feature event double after her splendid victory in the $31,000 JP’s Sports Bar Trotters Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She will have her next start in the $50,000 Trotters Cup in a fortnight,” said leading trainer Michael Young after the five-year-old and youngest runner in Friday’s sprint had proved too speedy for her rivals.
The Trotters Cup is a standing-start event over 2503m, and while Young agrees that Majestic Ga Ga is far from a foolproof trotter in stands, he says that he is confident her natural speed will enable her to prove hard to beat in the Cup.
Despite her easy victory in a 1730m event at her previous outing Majestic Ga Ga was overshadowed in betting discussions on Friday night by Grumpee, who was the $1.75 favourite after runaway victories at Pinjarra at his two previous appearances.
Majestic Ga Ga was the $6 second fancy from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, and she began with her usual brilliance while Grumpee galloped badly and settled down a distant last in the field of twelve.
Majestic Ga Ga charged forward but was unable to cross $14 chance My Lightning McQueen, and Emily Suvaljko was content to take the sit behind My Lightning Queen, who was driven aggressively by his trainer Chris Voak as he covered the first three quarters of the final mile in 29.5sec., 30.4sec. and 28.9sec.
Suvaljko bided her time before easing Majestic Ga Ga off the pegs approaching the home turn. The mare surged to the front with about 40m to travel and won by a half-length from My Lightning McQueen, with Aldebaran Sundown ($41) running on from fifth on the pegs at the bell to finish a distant third.
The Victorian-bred Majestic Ga Ga has performed superbly for Young and Suvaljko, having raced 24 times in WA for eleven wins and eight placings to take her career record to 53 starts for 17 wins, 16 placings and $155,716. Suvaljko has driven the mare 19 times for ten wins and six placings.
“It’s really good to have a bullet-proof trotter who has really good gate speed, and that’s going to help her win a lot of races,” said Suvaljko.