Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Madam Publisher, the only New Zealand-bred filly in the $150,000 TABtouch WA Oaks at Gloucester Park on Friday night, gave talented reinsman Stuart McDonald his greatest success as a trainer when she finished with a super-charged burst to crush her rivals.
She was McDonald’s first starter in a Group 1 feature event, and her victory gave the 29-year-old New Zealand-born horseman his third Group 1 triumph as a reinsman, following the wins of Caviar Star in the Fremantle Cup in January 2020 and Spellbound in the Ladyship Cup at Melton in February 2022.
Madam Publisher’s impressive victory completed a remarkable transformation from the filly, who as a two-year-old 13 months earlier was discarded because she showed little signs of developing into a successful pacer.
“She wasn’t going good as a two-year-old when she didn’t handle working on the sand,” said McDonald. “She broke under pressure (and finished a distant last in a field of four) in a Byford trial in September last year.
“I then asked her trainer Gary Hall Snr if I could have a go with her. Her owner Les Whiteside agreed, and I took over and didn’t work her in the sand as a two-year-old. I’m now working her on the sand, but she doesn’t work as hard as the other horses at the Hall stable.
Madam Publisher was a $10.40 chance from the inside of the back line in the 2536m Oaks, with the brilliant Water Lou the dominant $1.40 favourite ahead of her stablemate Lion Queen ($6.50) and Xceptional Arma ($7).
Shannon Suvaljko drove Water Lou out hard from the No. 3 barrier, but she was held at bay by the polemarker Xceptional Arma before eventually getting the upper hand after 420m, with Madam Publisher enjoying an ideal passage, three back on the pegs.
Lion Queen moved to the breeze in the first lap, with Soho Honey Rider ($17) looking a strong player in the one-out, two-back position.
“I made my first move passing the 600m when I shifted Soho Honey Rider out, and then I managed to get on to that filly’s back,” said McDonald. “At the 400m I could see the ones ahead of Madam Publisher weren’t travelling as good as her, and she was bolting.”
Lion Queen took a narrow lead with about 380m to travel before Mitch Miller sent Soho Honey Rider to the front on the home turn. Madam Publisher was out four wide on the corner and she charged home to win by seven metres from $26 chance Atlantic Gem, who was ninth at the bell and finished fast to relegate Lion Queen to third and Soho Honey Rider to fourth. Water Lou wilted to finish eleventh.
Madam Publisher, who rated 1.58.2, has now earned $123,716 for her breeder-owner Les Whiteside from seven wins and three placings from eleven starts.
Madam Publisher is by American sire Rock n Roll Heaven and is the second foal out of Bettors Delight mare Hot Off The Press, who raced 23 times for three wins, six placings and $22,860. Madam Publisher certainly has inherited much of her ability from her maternal granddam Classical, who won a Group 1 feature event as a two-year-old at Alexandra Park 2002 before finishing second to Pullover Brown in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Addington in May 2003.
McDonald is now contemplating setting Madam Publisher for the $200,000 WA Derby on November 1. “Initially, I was going to send Madam Publisher out for a spell after the Oaks, but if she pulls up good in the next couple of days and everything is well with her, maybe I’ll push on for a Derby start,” he said.
“She is now an automatic qualifier for the Derby. She can sit on speed and being a sniper is a good role for her. If she drew well in the Derby, she could figure.”
McDonald paid tribute to the many harness racing people who had assisted him in the sport since arriving in Western Australia a decade ago. “I’ve had a lot of support from a lot of camps during my career,” he said. “It’s been fantastic, the help I’ve had from people like Senior (Gary Hall Snr) and Junior (Gary Hall Jnr).”