Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Brilliant pacer Fakenit was reappearing after an eleven-week absence when she was a hot $1.10 favourite for the $100,000 Celebrating Harness Owner Liam O’Connor Westbred Classic for four-year-old mares at Park on Friday night.
And she sent her supporters and star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr into shock when she broke moments before the mobile barrier sent the field of eleven on its way.
However, Fakenit, trained by Gary Hall Snr, quickly regained her pacing gait and dashed straight to the front before travelling smoothly in front and winning easily by almost two lengths from $31 chance Up And Alive, rating 1.59.8 over the 2536m journey.
“She went into a full-stretch gallop and I nearly lost her,” said Hall Jnr. “I was lucky it was 50 metres before the start. I panicked and it was more a case of good luck rather than good management. She has never been a great pacer, but I don’t know why she broke.
“After that early scare, she travelled really well and the only concern was that she was first-up. However, she was quite strong and had her own way which was a good thing.”
Fakenit has been most impressive in earning $304,449 from eight wins and eight placings from 19 starts and is poised to make her presence felt in the rich feature events for mares later in the year.
Fakenit was the first leg of a driving treble for Hall, who was successful later in the program with wins with Ideal Beach and Hez The Boss. He kept up the good work with a double at the Bunbury meeting on Saturday night when he scored with the Justin Prentice-trained three-year-old filly Perfect Miki, a $2.90 chance, and with Bob Mellsop’s pacer Turbo Jay, a $5.50 chance.
Prentice prepared Ideal Beach for his stylish victory in the Group 2 $100,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings over 2130m.
Ideal Beach, making his third appearance in his current campaign, was the third favourite at $3.70, with El Mystro the $2.80 favourite and Wheelsofortune the $3.40 second fancy.
American Machine, a $41 outsider from the No. 9 barrier, veered sideways in the mobile score-up, bumped into the outside fence and broke into a gallop, losing 60 metres. Chugach ($31) zoomed to the front from barrier five, with El Mystro settling down in fifth place, one-out and one-back.
About 550m after the start Mitch Miller dashed $31 chance Wake Up Geoff forward with a three-wide burst, and soon after that Robbie Williams eased El Mystro out three wide to surge forward and move to the breeze with 1200m to travel.
Ideal Beach began from the No. 6 barrier and settled down in ninth position before Hall made a pre-emptive strike by setting the colt alight with a sizzling burst 900m from home. Ideal Beach took the lead 570m from, home and went on to win by just under a length from El Mystro, with Wheelsofortune 10m farther back in third place after trailing the frontrunning Chugach.
“I wasn’t planning that move with Ideal Beach, but it worked out,” said Hall. “The WA Derby is on the cards.”
A delighted Prentice said that this was the race he had pencilled in for Ideal Beach. “He went super and has got a good motor, and he proved that tonight,” he said. “He is really fast and has a good turn of foot. He will be set for the Derby (a $200,000 classic over 2536m on October 30).”
Ideal Beach was purchased by Prentice for $130,000 at the 2024 APG Perth yearling sale and is raced by a big syndicate of owners. The American Ideal colt has earned $333,115 from seven wins and three placings from 13 starts.