SUNDAY TIMES HARNESS RACING - 4th JULY 2014 By Robbie Dewar Published with permission of the Sunday Times on The Coffee and the FormGuide Facebook page A bargain buy has provided a fairytale for her owner when winning at Gloucester Park on Friday night. Tis A Charmer a $2,500 purchase came with a withering run to take out the $40,000 McInerney Ford Fillies And Mares Final (2130m). Settling midfield in the moving line Tis A Charmer got shuffled back to be second last in the 12 horse field wit 700m to travel. It was then that driver Gary Hall (jnr) started to weave his magic as he started to work his way between runners before going four wide on the apex of the home bend. Turning for home the daughter of Christian Cullen started to storm down the centre of the track to hit the front 30m from home and win by just under a length. “I got her in excellent condition from her previous trainer Wendy Boyd” said trainer Kevin Keys. “She needed a soft run and that’s what she got tonight, that’s why you try and get Gary Hall (jnr) to drive your horse, “We’ll try and pick the right race for her, we won’t get overly ambitious, “Tonight was her fourth run for me, three starts back she got knocked over and then came out and ran third at her last start; go see her owner Chienoa Foster that’s where the real story is, “said Keys. “This is like a fairytale, I can’t believe it, “said the 19-year-old Chienoa. “I’ve had my driver’s licence for 12 months but have struggled to get regular drives so I bought her so that I can have a regular drive, this is unreal, “said Chienoa. “We’ve been planning this night since she was eight-years-old, “ chimed in Chienoa’s mother Amanda. “At that time she could have either gone dancing or been involved with the horses, she chose horses and tonight is the result, “said Amanda. Unwanted by punters Tis A Charmer was sent out as a $33.70 chance on the tote- $81.00 on the fixed odds market. The $2,500 has now reaped Chienoa $27,040. ***************************** EX New Zealander The Perfect Storm led throughout to win the $35,000 TAB Touch John Higgins Memorial (2130m). Driver Gary Hall (jnr) was able to get away with 61.7 sec first 800m sectional which on a ran sodden track made it difficult for runners back in the pack. That was never more emphasised that when Hall (jnr) uptempoed for the last lap , running the last 800m in a quick 57.8 secs and going onto win by three quarters of a length. Starting a drifting $6.90 third favourite the win was the son of Love Or Die’s first win in 10 starts. Despite winning just over $76,000 since joining the Brennan stable late in 2012 Friday nights win was initial city class success. “He has tended to place himself a bit, “said Brennan. “He has won a couple of $14,999 races a $10,000 race and ran third in a Village Kid Sprint won by Im Victorious, tonight was a $35,000 M0 which is a nice way to break his city status . “I am pleased for the owners a couple of whom have been with me from the start, “He’ll just work his way through the classes now” concluded Brennan. ***************************** DAVID HERCULES remained unbeaten in three starts this campaign when he produced a tough dour performance to win the Ross Cooper Appreciation Pace (2130m). Sent out as a $1.90 favourite David Hercules came out of the mobile humming and got anything up to a half length in front of the $2.70 second favourite Northview Punter who won the start and led. When he couldn’t cross Northview Punter driver Morgan Woodley allowed the seven –year-old to relax at the front of the moving line, that was until 1000m from home when Woodley uptempoed again and started to reapply pressure, this was emphasised when the second 400m sectional was run in quick 28.5 secs after a softish 30.3 secs, the third 400m sectional really tested David Hercules’s rivals out as he ran it in 28.0 secs. The pace was too quick for the leading duos rivals as they broke away to a three length lead and settled down to a dour struggle. David Hercules just out toughed his rival to win by a half length with a further two lengths away to Benjamin Banneker in third place running home in 29.0 secs “Running a 55.7 sec middle half doesn’t get any better than that , “said trainer Dave Thompson. “I was thought he wouldn’t cross Northview Punter and that is how it panned out, “I don’t know what’s wrong with him; he’s been a bit cranky of late” “Eventhough Northview Punter beat us in a trial at Byford last Sunday running time I thought we had something up our sleeve . “There is the Howard Porter Memorial next week, we’ll start him in that and then decide what to do with him after that, “concluded Thompson. ************************* PEMBROOK HENRY provided 19-year-old Stuart McDonald with his first metro class success as a trainer when winning the Brear & Doonan Discretionary Pace (2503m). Settling three on the back of the leader McDonald got the Ross Olivieri trained nine-year-old into the clear at the top of the straight and ran on strongly to hit the front in the shadows of post to win by a half length. For McDonald he has been driving for 18 months. “I started with Greg Schofield and was with Greg for four months and I drove my first winner there when Mako Shadow won at Kellerberrin in March 2013, “Danny Voak told me about a job going here at Ross’s and I have been here ever since, “I think tonight is my 23rd success and I’m rapt. “Tonight I thought if he could get a soft run he looked a chance and that’s how it panned out, “said McDonald. *********************** WHEN Slick Chapel took out the $25,000 City Livestock The Chandon Final (2130m) it took Gary Hall (snr’s) total winners of the season to 199. When he does break the 200 winner mark he will become the first trainer in WA to do so, there is still a month of the season remaining. In addition to Slick Chardon’s win Hall (snr) also won the Slater Gartrell Sports 3Yo Pace with Soho Lennon who blitzed his rivals from a backline draw to win by three lengths. Sent out a warm $1.80 favourite Soho Lennon has now won at five of his last seven starts. Hall (snr)only arrived back in WA from Queensland with stable star Im Themightyquinn on Friday morning following a successfull Queensland campaign which saw him win the $60,000 Sunshine Sprint and the $100,000 Blacks A Fake Free-For-All. “He went unbelievable and the response we got from the Queensland crowd was nothing short of sensational, they were outstanding, the closest that I can come is when Quinnie won the Inters here in Perth in 2012, “said Hall (snr). “I’m very happy with the way the horse is he’ll have a short break before we start preparing him for the WA Pacing Cup and Fremantle Cup. Gary Hall (jnr) drove a winning quartet of winners on Friday night triumphing with Soho Lennon, Tis A Charmer, The Perfect Storm and Slick Chapel. After Friday night Hall (jnr) has driven 164 season winners.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 08:43:49 +0000
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