Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion youngster Hez The Boss extended his winning sequence to eight when he proved the master of his rivals in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“The Golden Slipper (a $150,000 feature on September 25) is his next target,” said reinsman Gary Hall Jnr after driving the Poster Boy gelding for a comfortable win in the 2130m Group 1 classic.
Hez The Boss, the $1.60 favourite from the No. 4 barrier, began brilliantly and burst straight to the front and then relaxed and coasted through the lead time in 38.4sec. and the opening 400m sections in 31.6sec. and 30.2sec. before dashing over the final quarters in 28sec. and 28.4sec. to win by just over a length from the $2.20 second fancy Ignite The Furnace, who began from the prized No. 1 barrier and raced behind the pacemaker all the way.
“I knew Hez The Boss could begin that fast,” said Hall. “I wanted to make sure we crossed Ignite The Furnace, and this was the only time we really had to do it. Then it was the strongest he has ever travelled and it was one of his easiest wins.”
Ideal Whisper, a $6.50 chance, raced in the breeze and kept Ignite The Furnace in a water-tight pocket throughout before that gelding gained an inside passage in the final stages to finish second, a head in front of Ideal Whisper.
Hez The Boss, a $100,000 yearling and raced by Liam O’Connor and Trevor Lindsay, has shone under the care of veteran Banjup trainer Colin Brown, and has already amassed $356,978 in prizemoney from eight wins, with his only defeat was on debut when he was a $7 chance from the outside barrier in a six-horse field and raced in last position before surging home to finish second, a short half-head from the winner and $1.70 favourite Seaside Serenade.
It was a profitable evening for Lindsay, who bred and owns promising filly A Precious Gem, who caused a surprise when Maddison Brown drove the $20.40 chance to a narrow victory in the Group 2 $100,000 Allwood Stud Farm For Your Breeding Requirements Westbred Classic for three-year-old fillies.
Serpentine trainer Dylan Egerton-Green had two runners in the race, and he chose to handle the polemarker Sovereign Jewel, the $3.70 second fancy from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and he engaged his sister-in-law Brown to drive A Precious Gem.
Brown got A Precious Gem away smartly and the filly raced in the breeze for the first 200m before gaining a perfect trail in the one-out and one-back position after Chris Voak sent the $3.60 favourite Justasmooth Miki forward to race outside the pacemaker Sovereign Jewel.
Justasmooth Miki took a narrow lead about 15 metres from the post, and A Precious Gem, who went three wide on the home bend and was fourth with 100m to travel, got up to snatch victory by a head, with Sovereign Jewel a neck farther back in third place.
“This was a nice pick-up drive,” said a thankful Brown. “I didn’t attempt to get to an early lead and wasn’t keen on staying in the breeze. I was happy to get a sit only because A Precious Gem led and weakened to finish fourth in a qualifying heat.”
A Precious Gem is by American sire Captain Crunch and is the fourth foal out of Bettors Gem, who had 40 starts for 11 wins, 13 placings and $103,276.
A Precious Gem, who has earned $79,964 from three wins and two seconds from seven starts, with Bettors Gem’s first two foals Swingband and Atlantic Gem shining on the track.
Swingband amassed $434,194 from 14 wins and 14 placings from 48 starts. A highlight of his career was his third placing behind Catch A wave and Minstrel in the $1.25 Nullarbor slot race in April 2024.
Atlantic Gem has earned $113,761 from six wins and seven placings from 29 starts. She won the Group 2 Daintys Daughter Classic in September 2024 before finishing second to Madam Publisher in the WA Oaks at her next appearance.