Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Energetic eight-year-old Chumani ran an excellent trial for the $50,000 Trotters Cup next Friday night when he set the pace and won The Game Trotters Trot, a stand over 2503m, at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the Terry Ferguson-trained gelding’s third win in a row in a standing-start event. After a runaway victory at Bunbury four nights earlier he was a warm $1.90 favourite from the No. 1 barrier on the front line.
Surprisingly, Chumani was beaten out by the $3.60 second fancy Uptown Lad. Chris Voak then was content to let Chumani settle behind the frontrunning Uptown Lad before he eased Chumani off the pegs and into the breeze with 950m to travel. Chumani took the lead about 480m from home and he went on to win by a length from the $6.50 chance Sunnys Little Rose, who finished solidly after racing three back on the pegs.
“Chumani very rarely doesn’t earn, and he got into this race very cheaply under the new national ratings system,” said Voak. “He is now showing more staying power, but unfortunately winning tonight hurts him for the Trotters Cup (when the handicaps for that event are declared).”
Chumani has contested the past two Trotters Cups, both when he began from the front line. He finished second to Patched in the 2023 Cup and then was sixth behind Our Maestoso last year after racing five back on the pegs.
The WA-bred Chumani, who is by champion pacing sire Bettors Delight, is the first foal out of the Victorian-bred pacing mare Storm Cat (by American pacing sire Mister Big). Chumani has earned $146,085 from 15 wins and 30 placings from 83 starts. Storm Cat was retired after racing 18 times for five placings and stakes of $7209.
After producing Chumani, Storm Cat was the dam of pacers Syncopation (one win from 46 starts) and Scuttlebutt (two wins from 19 starts).