Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Former Tasmanian pacer Cool Water Paddy’s win in the opening event, the Rex Far Too Good Pace, at Gloucester Park on Friday night revived memories of Eyre Crusher’s close second to Three Blind Mice in the 2014 WA Derby.
Eyre Crusher, trained by Gary Hall Snr, had 18 starts in WA between 2013 and 2017 for eight wins and seven placings. He was the first pacer sired by the New Zealand-bred stallion Ohoka Arizona to race in Western Australia.
Cool Water Paddy is only the second of the progeny of Ohoka Arizona to have raced in WA. Ohoka Arizona was a talented pacer who had 20 starts for eight wins, four placings and stakes of $273,498. As a two-year-old in New Zealand in 2007 he won two Group 1 events and two Group 3 races.
Cool Water Paddy is the sixth and last foal out of the Village Jasper mare Glentara, who managed one win (by a nose and rating 2.8.3 in a 2200m stand at Greymouth in March 2006) and six placings in minor events in a 29-start career for earnings of $10,902. However, all of Glentara’s progeny have been winners, and they include Monifieth (149 starts for 31 wins, 31 placings and $622,283) and Ohoka Johnny (107 starts for 21 wins, 23 placings and $147,460).
After Cool Water Paddy had raced 33 times in Tasmania for 15 wins and 12 placings and twice in Victoria for one placing) his Tasmanian owners sent him to WA to be trained by Nathan Turvey.
“He had reached Free-For-All company over there but had never won a metro-class race,” said Turvey. “And that meant he was able to come here on an easy handicap mark.
“Cool Water Paddy has a lot of ability, but he has had a lot of problems after arriving here. He doesn’t handle the Gloucester Park track all that well. He gets on one rein when he’s out wide on the bends.”
Cool Water Paddy started from the No. 2 barrier in Friday night’s 2130m event and was equal favourite at $3.90 with Armed Reactor, who broke soon after the start and settled down a distant last.
Cool Water Paddy took the lead after 130m and he was not extended in setting the pace and winning by just under two lengths from $13 chance Woodlea Ragnar, who trailed the leader throughout.
“I turned around soon after the start and saw that Armed Reactor was galloping,” said Turvey. “I was expecting him to come around and put pressure on us, but once I saw that he was out of play it made our job a lot easier.”
The win improved Cool Water Paddy’s WA record to nine starts for two wins and a third placing and took his career record to 44 starts for 17 wins, 14 placings and $147,945.