Ken Casellas | Race Replay
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr faced a tough decision when determining his drive in the $125,000 APG Sales Classic final for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“It was a hard choice, and I’ve settled on Hez the Boss ahead of Ideal Whisper,” said Hall, who had driven both the geldings to impressive victories in qualifying heats on Tuesday of last week.
Hez The Boss, trained by Colin Brown, has drawn awkwardly out wide at barrier No. 8 in the 1730m classic, whereas the Justin Prentice-trained Ideal Whisper will begin from the favourable No. 2 barrier.
“I’ll be driving Hez The Boss because he is the better horse than Ideal Whisper at this stage,” said Hall. “He has everything, great speed and is pretty tough as well.
“Ideal Whisper went super when he won his heat. He went better than I expected and he improved a lot on his trial at Pinjarra (when he won easily at a 2.1.8 rate over 1684m).”
Prentice has engaged Deni Roberts to handle Ideal Whisper, who rated 1.56.7 in winning his qualifying heat by just over a length from Russian Sniper. He raced outside the pacemaker Spychief before surging to the front 520m from home. The final 400m sections were run in slick time, 28.7sec. and 28.4sec. It was a splendid debut.
Hez The Boss has an edge in experience, having raced three times for a debut nose second to Seaside Serenade over 1684m at Pinjarra, followed by a fast-finishing easy victory over the same distance at Pinjarra and his impressive heat win when he raced without cover early and then in the one-out, one-back position before starting a three-wide move with 250m to travel and then taking the lead 120m later and winning by 10m from Jetpack, rating 1.56.3, with final quarters of 28.5sec. and 28.3sec.
Hez The Boss is by Poster Boy and is the seventh foal out of New Zealand mare Falcons Gem, who produced Menemsha, who has earned $357,859 from eight wins and 18 placings from 45 starts.
Menemsha won the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings in September 2023, three weeks after winning the Pearl Classic. He then finished second to Christopher Dance in the WA Derby in November 2024 and won the Group 3 August Cup last year, beating Rolling Fire.
Veteran trainer Mike Reed will be looking for a strong showing from Terbium, who will be driven by Shannon Suvaljko in Friday night’s classic, in which he is handily drawn at barrier three.
Terbium revealed good gate speed from barrier four to set the pace and romp to a five-length victory over Beau Para in a qualifying heat. He rated 1.56.9 after final quarters of 29sec. and 29.2sec.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell has two runners in Friday night’s event, with Liam Elliott taking the drive behind Jetpack, and Jack Callaghan engaged for Spychief.
Jetpack did a good job to finish second to Hez The Boss in a heat after working hard in the breeze. He faces a stern test from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, while Spychief is the solitary runner on the back line. Spychief set the pace in his heat in which he wilted to finish third behind Ideal Whisper and Russian Sniper.
“Jetpack and Spychief will be relying on a bit of luck,” said Bell. “If the pace is on, they will be sneaky place chances. Jetpack’s two runs have been good, and he looks the better chance of the two.”