Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
A sizzling beginning and an all-the-way victory in the Nathan, Nat And Shaun For Breakfast Pace over 1730m by Withoutthetuh at Gloucester Park on Friday night has prompted Coolup trainer Michael Brennan to set the Courage Under Fire six-year-old for the $48,500 Nights Of Thunder on January 26.
Brennan, who prepared Pinny Tiger for his win in the Nights Of Thunder last January, said that Withoutthetuh was ideally suited to sprint racing.
Withoutthetuh was injured and unable to run in the Nights Of Thunder earlier this year, but he finished third to Ideal Agent in a heat of that race in January 2022 before being unplaced in the final in which he began from the outside barrier, raced wide and in the breeze before fading.
“He has had a lot of feet troubles, just little niggles that we have finally got right,” said Brennan after Chris Voak had got Withoutthetuh away with a spectacular burst from out wide at barrier seven to cross to the front from the polemarker and $2.60 favourite Longreach Bay.
After an opening quarter of 28.7sec. Withoutthetuh dashed over the following 400m sections in 30sec., 28.5sec. and 29.1sec. to win by a neck from the $2.90 second fancy American Arma, who fought on grandly after racing in the breeze. Stormyskyes ($34) surged home from eighth at the bell to finish third, with Otis ($5.50) finishing powerfully from eleventh at the bell to be an eye-catching fifth.
The Victorian-bred Withoutthetuh ended a losing sequence of 22 when he led and won easily over 1177m at Pinjarra last Monday week.
Despite his easy win over Sovrana at Pinjarra, Withoutthetuh was a $47.20 outsider on Friday night. “If he had drawn barrier one tonight, he would have been one of the favourites,” said Brennan.
“But he has blinding gate speed, and I was confident that he would cross to the front. The shorter course suits him best because he doesn’t start to feel those aches and pains which normally set in after about 2000m.”
Brennan bought Withoutthetuh as a going three-year-old, and the gelding has performed admirably, with his 74 starts producing 15 wins, 21 placings and $155,718.
“He was recommended to me, so I went to Melbourne and drove him,” said Brennan. “I liked him and bought him.” Withoutthetuh, who raced six times in Victoria for two wins and two seconds, is the fourth foal out of Always Lacking, who had 49 starts for four wins, nine placings and $23,515.
Withoutthetuh is a half-brother to Space Junk, who earned $144,273 from 17 wins and 12 placings from 67 starts. Voak was in the sulky for nine of Space Junk’s wins.