Racing WA Harness

Trots this Friday 19th, 1st race is 5.45, head down and join us for a great night out. Outdoor heaters, full bar, TAB & the Cafe will be creating some amazing meals.

She's unbeaten in WA for Gary Hall Jnr, but can this spawn of Alta Christiano pull one out of the box to beat proven performers Fakenit and Aardiebytheseaside in the $50,000 Gr.3 Kerry Clarke FFA Mares Pace?

We find out on Friday...

📸: PacePix

Coolup trainer Hayden Reeves has seasoned five-year-old Del Bocavista Bay racing in the best form of his career, and he is upbeat about the gelding’s prospects of completing a hat-trick when he begins from the prized No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Bridge Bar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“His latest run was super when he won easily, and the plan on Friday night will be to lead,” he said.

The versatile Del Bocavista Bay began from the back line in the 2530m Kellerberrin Cup last Sunday when he raced in eighth position before moving to seventh at the bell with a three-wide trail and then being switched four wide at the 500m and taking the lead 200m later and winning comfortably from stablemate Major Freeway.

At his previous start in a 2180m event at Wagin nine nights earlier Del Bocavista Bay raced in eighth spot before starting a four-wide move at the bell which saw him hit the front with 220m to travel and racing away to beat stablemate Tubbs Farquhar by four lengths.

While those victories were impressive come-from-behind efforts, Del Bocavista Bay is also a smart frontrunner who has led and won at Albany (twice), Bunbury, Wagin and Gloucester Park.

Del Bocavista Bay is thriving on a busy program, and already this season he has contested 26 events for four wins and six placings to boost his record to 108 starts for 16 wins, 20 placings and $140,633. Two of his wins have been in metro-class events at Gloucester Park last year.

One of his main rivals is sure to be the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Thelittle Master, who will begin from the No.5 barrier. The five-year-old has been unplaced at his past ten starts but is sure to appreciate a considerable drop in class.

“This is a massive drop in class, and he has been looking for a race like this,” said his driver Deni Roberts. “He will need a bit of luck, but he is going good enough to be a strong each-way chance,” said Roberts.

Ken Casellas

Promising pacer Aretha will reappear after an absence of eight and a half months when she begins from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m $9 Swan Draught Pints Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with her trainer Jemma Hayman predicting a strong first-up performance.

“Her two recent trials have been okay without being outstanding,” said Hayman. “But she knows the difference between trials and races. You will see a better version of her on Friday night.”

Aretha, a winner at six of her 13 starts, has not raced since finishing seventh behind Fakenit in the WA Oaks on October 3 last year.

She was driven by Chris Voak in a 2116m stand at the Pinjarra trials on Wednesday of last week when she set a modest pace in the field of three and won by eight lengths from Swizzlestick, rating 2.5.9. And then in a 2150m five-horse trial at Byford last Saturday Aretha, driven by Tony Treasure, raced at the rear and finished last, ten lengths from the winner Holy Hecka.

“Aretha is ticking all the boxes; she has done plenty of work and has plenty of miles in her legs,” said Hayman. “And we would like to hold up and lead on Friday night.

“She had a good spell after the Oaks and was due to resume racing a few months back when we had a little setback with her. It was nothing major; it was a medical issue we had to resolve.”

Looming large as Aretha’s main dangers are Always B Miki pacers trained by Kevin Keys --- Koojan (barrier six) and Mikis Pride (nine).

A conservative Keys said: “It will be difficult for those horses from those barriers, but Koojan will be running on.” Koojan, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko, bounced back to top form last Friday night when he raced three back on the pegs in fifth place before getting clear approaching the home turn and flying home, out wide, to win by a half-length from Troubadour, rating 1.56.3 over 2130m.

Callan Suvaljko will drive Mikis Pride, who will be making his first appearance after a six-month absence. The five-year-old is capable of a strong first-up effort.

Hayman will be looking for a forward showing from Diamond World, who will begin from the No. 7 barrier in the Book Into Steelo’s Pace over 1730m. She has engaged Gary Hall jnr to drive the mare whose opponents include smart four-year-olds Sheer Rock Lady and Diamondsareforever, who are trained by her husband Ross Olivieri.

“Sheer Rock Lady, who will be having her first start for four months, is drawn out wide at barrier eight on the front line, with Diamondsareforever (Ryan Warwick) at barrier nine.

“They have had no luck in the random draw,” said Olivieri. “Sheer Rock Lady has taken a long time to mature, and her second in a Pinjarra trial on Wednesday of last week was encouraging. She will acquit herself well, and whatever she does she will improve on.”

Ken Casellas

Outstanding driver Deni Roberts declares that veteran pacer Gee Heza Sport is the best horse currently racing in Western Australia, and she is confident that the sprightly eight-year-old will win the $31,000 Christmas In July Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“I don’t think any horse in the State is going as good as he is,” she said. “His past two runs have been insane.”

Gee Heza Sport, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has the speed and strength to overcome the disadvantage of beginning from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line.

The New Zealand-bred son of American sire Sportswriter, the winner of 16 races and $586,421 in prizemoney, has performed brilliantly at his most recent outings after starting from wide barriers.

He began from barrier eight in a 2130m Free-For-All on May 22 when he was tenth in the middle stages and sixth, three wide, at the bell before storming home to gain a last-stride victory over the pacemaker Sweet Pins. He rated 1.54 after the final 800m (off the front) was run in 55.4sec.

Two weeks later Gee Heza Sport started from the No. 7 barrier in a 1730m sprint in which he raced in seventh position before sustaining a powerful three-wide burst from the 600m to finish second to the frontrunning Youre So Fine, who dashed overt the final quarters in 27.5sec. and 27.4sec.

The longer distance of this week’s event should not worry Gee Heza Sport, who finished second in the 2936m Fremantle Cup in May 2025 before winning the 3309m Marathon three months later.

Among the main rivals for Gee Heza Sport on Friday night are his inexperienced stablemate Our Crunch Time, Bettors Pride, Soho Moonraker and Youre So Fine.

Four-year-old Our Crunch Time has been thrown in at the deep end to compete against several older, more experienced and better-performed pacers. He will be driven by Kyle Symington from the coveted No. 1 barrier.

Our Crunch Time, who led and finished second to Soho Moonraker over 2185m at Pinjarra on Monday of last week, has impressed at winning six times from twelve starts.

Bettors Pride, to be driven by Shannon Suivaljko from barrier four, raced in last position in the field of twelve in a 2130m event last Friday night before charging home, out six wide to dead-heat for second with Sweet Pins behind the pacemaker Opal Hunter.

Kevin Keys, who trains Bettors Pride, said: “I’m very happy with him, and he will run a nice race.”

The Bond stable and Roberts appear certain to be prominent in other events on the ten-event program, with Roberts expecting strong showings from Troubadour (race two), Delulu (race three), Aardiebytheseaside (race five) and Thelitte Master (race six).

Troubadour will start from the inside of the back row in the ULE Hoof Oil Pace over 2130m. He was the $2 favourite in a 2130m race last Friday night when he set a modest pace and finished a half-length second to the fast-finishing Koojan.

Roberts admitted she was disappointed with the four-year-old’s performance, saying: “I don’t know what to make of him at the moment. Probably a soft draw will help him this week. Maybe, with a sit he will go better.”

Delulu, who has been plagued by unfavourable barriers, should appreciate starting from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Christmas In July Pace.

“She has been a sit-sprinter because of her wide draws, and now I’m happy that she has got a good draw, so I aim to be taking full advantage of it,” she said.

Delulu has begun from the No. 1 barrier three times in her 30-start career for two wins and a fourth placing (after she set the pace and wilted to fourth behind Fakenit in a 2536m WA Oaks prelude last year).

Delulu will need to be at her top to beat in-form runners Sweet Pins, A Little Silence, Opal Hunter and Medieval Man.

Roberts suggested that punters should overlook Aardiebytheseaside’s last placing behind Eastbro Chrissy in a field of eight last Friday night when the big mare raced at the rear throughout.

“Just forget about last week’s run when the first half was run in (a slow) 63sec. and we couldn’t do anything from back in the field,” she said. “She will be better suited from barrier five this week.”

Fakenit, to be driven by Stuart McDonald for trainer Gary Hall snr, is ideally drawn at barrier two and is sure to take a power of beating. She raced in the breeze outside Eastbro Chrissy and fought on determinedly to finish second to that mare last Friday night.

Ken Casellas

Recent New Zealand import Stormy Vista notched his first Australian win when he set the pace and held on to beat A Little Silence in the Bridge Bar Handicap, a stand over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

“The tempo of stands suits him at this stage of his career,” said ace trainer Michael Young. “And now he will go for the $30,000 York Cup, a standing-start event at Northam’s Burwood Park next Saturday night.”

Four-year-old Stormy Vista, a gelding by Sweet Lou, is a standing-star specialist, having contested stands at 27 of his 31 race appearances for all of his four victories. He has also been placed ten times and has earned $51,982 in prizemoney.

Purchased by a band of Young’s faithful stable clients for what is sure to prove to be a bargain at $18,000, the gelding has had three starts for the Young stable for a win, a third and a fourth placing for stakes of $14,969.

He was the $2 favourite from the front line, and he took up the running after 250m, and the lead time went by in a slow 72.3sec. before A Little Silence (20m and the $6.50 second fancy) dashed forward to the breeze. Alta Tribute ($7) galloped away from the 30m mark and settled down in last place before Stuart McDonald urged him forward to move to the breeze with just under two laps to travel.

Emily Suvaljko increased the tempo noticeably and Stormy Vista whizzed over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 28.9sec. before the gelding held on to win by a half-neck from A Little Silence, with Alta Tribute a half-head away in third place.

Luvbite, a stablemate of Stormy Vista and the 40m backmarker as a $9.50 chance, was last at the bell and seventh on the home turn before charging home with a brilliant burst to finish a close-up fourth. He, too, will be nominated for the York Cup.

Opal Hunter, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, produced a carbon copy of his performance a week earlier when he set the pace and won the $25,000 Christmas In July Pace over 2130m.

The five-year-old was the $3.20 second favourite from the coveted No. 1 barrier, and he set a modest early pace with a lead time of 37.6sec. and opening quarters of 31.1sec. and 30.5sec. before surging home with final 400m sections of 27.7sec. and 28.2sec. to won by 2m from fast-finishing dead-heaters Sweet Pins ($3.10 favourite) and Bettors Pride ($13).

“We put Opal Hunter up a grade this week knowing he would draw one,” said Williams. “Barrier one is an advantage, and he felt good in the warm-up, so I knew he was ready. He does tend to knock off, so he has got to learn very quickly to change that when racing against the better ones.”

Ken Casellas

The $50,000 group 3 Winter Cup on the agenda for Hotly Pursued after the big six-year-old had scored an easy victory in the $31,000 Western Australian of the Year, Dr Jim Giumelli Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Breeder, owner and trainer Murray Lindau was delighted with Hotly Pursued’s second-up win and said he was looking forward to the gelding competing against the State’s best pacers in feature events.

In the short term, Hotly Pursued will be set for the 2536m Winter Cup on July 10 and the 2536m $50,000 August Cup on August 21.

“I’d like Hotly Pursued to have a crack at some of the feature races,” said Lindau. “I think he is up to that level, and then I would love to see him take the next step up and mix it with the best horses in the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 11.”

Hotly Pursued is a noted frontrunner, but Lindau insisted that the horse was not one-dimensional, saying that he was very competitive when racing with a sit.

Lindau, who bred and races Hotly Pursued with his partner Claire McNaughton, said that he had experienced health issues with Hotly Pursued earlier in the year.

“I had to go away and get him healthy,” he said. “It wasn’t anything serious; I had some bloods taken and I have been able to get him back on track.”

Hotly Pursued is by American sire Huntsville and is the third and final foal out of the New South Wales-bred Blissfull Hall mare Besos Baci, who was trained by Lindau throughout her career of 57 starts for eight wins, 14 placings and $53,397 between 2012 and 2015.

Hotly Pursued has been a splendid performer who has earned $250,837 from 14 wins, eleven seconds and four thirds from 51 starts.

He was handled confidently on Friday night by 22-year-old Kylah Madden, who gained her experience with pacers under the guidance of veteran trainers Colin Brown and Lindau. “They have been a great help over the years, and I appreciate everything they have done,” said Madden.

Hotly Pursued began from barrier six and was the $3.30 favourite in Friday night’s event when Madden gained a vital advantage over the opposition by dashing the gelding to the front after 100m, and after a solid lead time of 36.9sec. was able to give her drive a breather with opening quarters of 31sec. and 30.2sec. before sprinting over the both the final 400m sections in 27.9sec.

“I was a bit worried at the start when they all came out (and threatened to cross) but I gave him a tap and he just took off in another gear and did it easily,” said Madden.

Hotly Pursued rated 1.56.3 and beat Master Publisher ($19) by two lengths, with Alcopony ($17) in third place. Justcallmemiki, the $4.80 third fancy, raced without cover before wilting to finish sixth.

Madden continued in fine form with wins with Katama at Bunbury on Saturday night and Tiger Lou and Del Bocavista Bay at Kellerberrin on Sunday afternoon.

Katama, the $1.10 favourite trained by Michael Young, led and defeated Miss Bejeweled at Bunbury, and Tiger Lou ($4.40) won race two at Kellerberrin and Del Bocavista Bay ($1.60) beat Major Freeway in the Kellerberrin Cup.

Full replay: racingwa.com.au/rwa/meetings/harness/2026-06-12/GLOUCESTER%20PARK/GP120626/race/5/GPM12062608

Ken Casellas