Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Dylan Voak earns a living driving a tow truck, but has always been a horse lover, whose father Danny was a successful trainer-reinsman, and his elder brother Chris a star reinsman, and in recent times a top-class trainer.
And he enjoyed a special occasion at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he notched his first city-class win as a trainer when Chris drove $2 favourite Texas Storm to a smart victory in the $21,000 Allwood Stud Breeding Tomorrow’s Champions Pace for Westbred three-year-olds.
Texas Storm was smartest into stride from the No. 5 barrier, and he gave a strong frontrunning performance to win by a half-length from $8 chance Livy Ann, rating 1.57.3.
Things haven’t been all plain sailing for Dylan Voak, who purchased Texas Storm for $14,000 at the 2024 Perth APG yearling sale and races the gelding with a syndicate of family and friends.
“I bought him because he was short and compact,” he said. “His brothers (Syncopation and Scuttlebutt) were big and lanky, and now he has developed into a quite a big and strongly-built horse.
“One reason why I bought him was because he was by American sire Stay Hungry, and Robbie Williams had a Stay Hungry pacer Louie Vee, who had won at his first two starts as a two-year-old at Gloucester Park and then finished second to The Bettor Side in a Sales Classic final.”
Texas Storm made his debut when he finished sixth in a race at Gloucester Park on February 18, 2025. “He had a cyst the size of a golf ball in a stifle, and vets couldn’t believe he could walk let alone pace,” said Voak.
An operation cured that problem, and Texas Storm was off the scene for seven months. “Everything has gone against him,” explained Voak. “He got an infection when he was gelded and after that when he was ready to race, he suffered from an attack of colic. But he is a lovely horse to deal with and I’m looking forward for more wins when he matures.”
Texas Storm has raced 17 times for two wins, four placings and $27,434 in stakes. The 34-year-old Voak now has had 113 starters for six wins and 20 placings.
Texas Storm is the fifth foal out of Victorian-bred mare Storm Cat, who raced 18 times in WA in 2014 and 2015 for five placings and stakes of $7209.
Storm Cat, a pacer, produced a trotter as her first foal, who was by champion pacing stallion Bettors Delight. This square gaiter is Chumani, who has earned $190,554 from 16 wins and 42 placings from 113 starts.
Texas Storm gave 40-year-old Chris Voak his second winner on Friday night. He prepared Maximum Rock for the five-year-old’s surprise victory in the $31,000 Allwood Stud Devoted To Breeding Excellence Westbred Pace.
Voak opted to handle $8 chance Brought To Light for Busselton trainer Katie Howlett, and Chris Lewis was engaged to drive Maximum Rock, a $31.40 outsider from the No. 4 barrier.
Lewis got Maximum Rock away smartly and the gelding eventually got to the front after 650m before setting a solid pace and going on to win by two lengths from the $2.70 chance Alta Tribute, with the $2 favourite Hotly Pursued a neck away in third place.
“I didn’t expect Maximum Rock to win, and I was surprised he went so well,” said Voak.
This was Maximum Rock’s 66th start, and Lewis was driving the gelding for only the third time in a race, for a third placing at Pinjarra on debut on January 16, 2023, and for another third at Gloucester Park on July 52024. Maximum Rock has been an excellent money-spinner, having earned $189,676 from 13 wins and 19 placings.