Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Brilliant colt Waverider is being set for a hat-trick of major feature events after he smashed the race record in scoring a runaway victory in the $100,000 APG Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He will be aimed at all the main two-year-old races, so we won’t be seeing him again until the heats of the Pearl,” said trainer Ryan Bell after Kyle Symington had driven Waverider to a devastating all-the-way success, beating Blaze Away by just over eight lengths, with his 1.55.4 rate lowering the race record rate of 1.56.2 set by Talks Up A Storm in 2020.
The $100,000 Pearl final will be run on August 25, and this will be followed by the $225,000 Westbred Classic on September 15 and the $150,000 Golden Slipper a fortnight later.
Waverider, the $2.40 favourite, was smartest to begin from barrier three, and he easily held out an early challenge from Off The Charts, and he coasted through the opening quarters in 29.1sec. and 30.5sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 28.4sec.
Blaze Away, the $4.20 third fancy, enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, two back position before finishing strongly from sixth at the 400m to be second, 25 metres behind the winner. Grevis ($1) trailed the pacemaker and finished two lengths farther back in third place.
The victory revived happy memories for the 36-year-old Bell, who drove Shinzig Buller to victory in the 2007 Sales Classic for two-year-olds. “He rated 2.2.8, and the 1.55.4 rated by Waverider tonight indicates the progress made by our local-bred youngsters,” said Bell.
The 21-year-old Symington said that he had had a worrying time over the previous seven days — since the Sales Classic was called off after Greatgreat Boulder had choked down and crashed to the track the previous Friday night when Symington has Waverider pacing strongly in the lead.
“Everything was spot on last Friday, and it has been a bit of a stressful week, though nothing went wrong,” he said.
Bell said that he would have been quite happy if the race had been re-run the previous week, but was quite happy that the colt was not affected in any way by the race being rescheduled.
“He handled everything like a professional,” he said. “He hasn’t even turned a hair tonight; he’s such a cool dude. His forte is his high cruising speed. You’ve just got to look at the stride on him.
“Kyle said that he got a bit keen behind the gate tonight and he nudged it a bit and went off balance before composing himself and getting on with the job. From day one he has been the ultimate professional.
“He is the most beautiful soul of an animal we have ever come across. He is not impeccably bred, but you would want to buy him on looks.”
Waverider is a stablemate of star performers Shockwave (47 starts for 19 wins, 17 placings and $514,802) and Swingband (21 starts for 11 wins, four placings and $193,840), and Bell has no hesitation is declaring: “Waverider is definitely faster than both of them. His point-to-point speed is ridiculous.”
Waverider is by American stallion Downbytheseaside and is the fourth foal out of the Major In Art mare Premium Copper, who managed one third placing (at Bunbury as a two-year-old) from five starts before being retired.
Waverider was bred by Mike and Sharon Howie, and he was purchased by Kevin Jeavons for $60,000 at the APG 2022 Perth yearling sale. Jeavons now races the colt in partnership with his son Kyle, Gino Monaco and J. Dyer. He has raced twice for two wins and earnings of $66,204. He is related to Willowleaf Boy, winner of the Pearl Classic in June 2003.