Champion harness racing reinsman Gary Hall jun. is promising a blistering start with Beaudiene Boaz and is confident the star New Zealand-bred colt will set the pace and win the $200,000 Sky Racing WA Derby at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall is determined to make every post a winner after Beaudiene Boaz drew the coveted No. 1 barrier on the front line in the group 1 classic over 2536m and the Badlands Hanover three-year-old is certain to start a red hot odds-on favourite.
“We will be coming out of the gate all guns blazing, regardless of what the tactics of the other runners are,” he said.
“Kiwi Legend, from barrier two, obviously will have a look (for the lead) out of the gate, and we’ll come out as fast as we can. I’m as confident as you can be in a Derby. But you can’t be too confident in those sort of races. It can be your undoing sometimes.
“I’m confident Beaudiene Boaz will lead; I’m confident he’s good enough and I’m confident that he’s well in himself. So taking all those things into consideration I am as confident as I can be. I don’t like to be over-confident.”
Champion trainer Gary Hall sen. echoed the sentiments of his son, saying: “Beaudiene Boaz should lead and win. I think he has improved slightly on his win in the Western Gateway last Friday week. He’s got the right barrier and he’s going to make use of it.”
Beaudiene Boaz set a track record for a three-year-old over the Derby distance of 2536m (rating 1.56.3) when he started out wide at No. 6, raced three wide for the first 500m, took the lead 150m later and reeled of quarters in 30sec., 28.2sec., 27.5sec. and 29.2sec. in beating Military Master by just over four lengths.
That victory made amends for his shock failure at 3/1 on when he raced in the breeze and met interference in the final lap, broke and finished eighth behind the pacemaking Kiwi Legend over 2130m the week before the Western Gateway Classic .
Kiwi Legend rated 1.54.7 over the 2130m in that brilliant victory before he raced in the breeze outside Beaudiene Boaz and wilted to finish eighth.
“When you’re going 1.54 and a bit over 2130m and on the rail no one is going to sit in the breeze and beat you,” said Hall jun.
“In New Zealand Beaudiene Boaz was driven as a speed horse and when he came over here Dad thought he was just a speed horse. But I reckon he’s more the other way, more tough than fast. He proved at his latest win that the 2536m is right up his alley.
“Beaudiene Boaz is a bit of a pain and he doesn’t do much on the sand track, so we’ve got to get into him when it is hopple day. So I let him run along last Wednesday and gave him a good hit-out. I sort of made him go a little bit too quick early, wanting to see how he finished off. He had Elegant Christian sitting on him, and he’s about ready to resume racing. But he didn’t even get to my wheel. I was really happy with the workout.”
Asked to compare Beaudiene Boaz with Alta Christiano, who he drove to a runaway victory in the 2013 WA Derby for his father after racing without cover, Hall said: “It’s hard to line them up. Alta Christiano didn’t have the same sort of competition as Beaudiene Boaz has got from Kiwi Legend. We never saw the best of Alta Christiano because his legs were stuffed.”
Hall sen. said that Beaudiene Boaz, winner of ten of his 15 starts, would go for a spell after Friday night’s classic. He said that New Zealand authorities had telephoned him to see whether he would like Beaudiene Boaz to be Australia’s invited representative in the rich Jewels Classic in the winter.
“I declined the offer and my plans are to concentrate on racing him exclusively in Western Australia,” he said. “After a spell, I’ll bring him back and prepare him for the Golden Nugget and then there’s the interdominion championship here for him in the following two years. He’s got everything here for him and there’s no incentive for me to leave here with him.”
The Halls are looking for their second WA Derby success, while the father-son combination of trainer Mike Reed and reinsman Mark Reed is aiming for victory with Kiwi Legend. The Reeds combined to win the Derby with Tricky Vic (2002) and Ace of Spades (2003).
Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond hold a strong hand in this week’s classic with five runners, Ima Connoisseur, Assassinator, Bungalow Bill, Denny Crane and Delightful Offer.
Delightful Offer was most impressive when Ryan Warwick drove him to an effortless five-length victory over El Comacho and Bungalow Bill in a 2130m Derby prelude last Friday night.
Delightful Offer’s prospects diminished significantly when he drew barrier three on the back line. “The draw, with Beaudiene Boaz at No. 1, makes all the other runners only a place chance,” Warwick said.
“Delightful Offer felt good and looked good last week. But he faces a stern test and so do all the other runners. Beaudiene Boaz would have to do something wrong to be beaten.”
Pacific Warrior clashes with John of Arc
Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams described Pacific Warrior as fit, fresh and bright — and ready to maintain his splendid form by winning the $22,500 Sky Racing Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And if Pacific Warrior performs strongly Williams will set him for the $30,000 Narrogin Cup, a mobile over 2662m, on May 2.
Pacific Warrior, who has earned $99,950 from four wins and three placings from 13 starts in his current campaign, fared perfectly in the random draw and will start from the prized No. 1 barrier on the front line. His clash with up-and-coming star John of Arc will be a highlight on the ten-event program.
John of Arc, who has won in dashing style at his past two starts for leading trainer Gary Hall sen. and ace reinsman Gary Hall jun., steps up considerably in class. But the five-year-old, a comparative novice of just 18 starts for 12 wins and four seconds, faces a moment of truth from the unfavourable barrier six on the front line.
The wide draw is not fazing Hall sen., who said: “I reckon if he had drawn inside of Pacific Warrior he could beat him. If Pacific Warrior leads, I don’t think John of Arc can beat him. But I think John of Arc is a better horse than Pacific Warrior and he will give him a fright on Friday night.
“We won’t give the race to Pacific Warrior. We’ll go round and have a look at him at some stage.”
Hall jun. is looking forward to John of Arc being tested in stronger company.” I thought he could win with a good draw,” he said. “But it will be hard from out wide.
“He’s a funny horse who has shown us at home that he is right up there with the best horses we’ve had. But his manners aren’t the best. He won’t do anything wrong, but he doesn’t get around the track all that well. He’s had bad legs, so it’s probably not all his fault.”
Williams said that if Pacific Warrior, to be driven by Kade Howson, would contest the Narrogin Cup if he maintained his excellent form in Friday night’s race. “If he leads and any horse apart from John of Arc beats him he will go straight to the paddock,” he said.
“The Narrogin Cup could well be his final run in this preparation. He will have a spell for about six weeks before coming back to be prepared for the interdominion championship series in Perth in November and December.”
Hall also is looking at the interdominion championship for John of Arc, providing he stays sound.
Nuala set to remain unbeaten
Outstanding reinsman Clint Hall is bubbling with confidence that brilliant three-year-old Nuala will maintain her unbeaten record by proving too strong for her six rivals in the Push By Schneider WA Oaks Prelude at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“This will be her first test over 2536m (the distance of the $150,000 WA Oaks on May 8) and I expect her to enjoy the increase in distance,” he said.
“It should be to her liking and I expect her to jump to the front from barrier two and then run a controlled lead time. We’re very happy with where she’s at.”
The New Zealand-bred Nuala has not been extended in winning at all her six starts — by an aggregate margin of 70.1 metres, an average of 11.68m (just under four lengths).
Trainer Gary Hall sen. should provide the quinella, with Giuliana Rancic, to be driven by Gary Hall jun., expected to provide the strongest opposition to Nuala.
Remarkably, Giuliana Rancic consistently beats Nuala in trackwork at the Hall’s Serpentine training establishment.
“I’ve chased Nuala home with Giuliana Rancic in her past two to three runs and haven’t been able to get near her,” Hall jun. said. “And I can’t see this changing on Friday. She’s a bit of a pain because she beats Nuala on the track all the time, leading or sitting. If I lead with Giuliana Rancic, Nuala doesn’t get near her and if I sit I get over her almost every time.
“It’s a bit like Zennart and Beaudiene Boaz. Zennart always beats him on the track, but it’s a different matter in a race.”
Leading WA Oaks candidates Tricky Styx and Quite A Delight are not in Friday night’s prelude, with Northam trainer Jesse Moore preferring to contest the WA Derby with Tricky Styx and Justin Prentice keeping Quite A Delight at home.
However, adding interest to Friday night’s event will be the first appearance in WA of the Courtney Burch-trained Uaintseennothinyet, the Mike Reed-trained Foxy Dame and Baileys Gold, trained by Greg and Skye Bond.
Uaintseennothinyet has won once from ten starts in New Zealand and should obtain an ideal passage from the No. 1 barrier. Foxy Dame has won at one of her six starts in New Zealand and Baileys Gold is capable of a sound effort at her debut after scoring easy wins in three Byford trials in recent weeks.
Jungle Jewel will pay to follow
Well-performed four-year-old Jungle Jewel will resume racing after a 31-day absence when she starts from barrier two on the front line of the third heat of the Clipsal Powerhouse Johnson Mares Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night and reinsman Ryan Warwick says that she will pay to follow in this campaign.
Warwick, in top form after landing trebles at Gloucester Park last Friday night and at Kellerberrin on Sunday, said: “She’s pretty close and will improve with the run. She’s going pretty good and she had a good hit-out in a trial at Byford on Sunday morning when she sat one-out and one-back and got pushed around a little bit.”
Jungle Jewel finished fifth in the six-horse trial, five lengths from the winner Heez On Fire, who rated 1.58.5 over the 2185m journey.
Jungle Jewel, trained by Greg and Skye Bond, rarely performs below par and has already earned $89,082 from ten wins and seven placings from 35 starts.
Byford trainer David Thompson will be represented by smart four-year-olds Harper Grace (barrier one) and Harriet Elisabeth (No. 2 on the back line) and both mares will have admirers.
Hall fancies insignificant horse
Champion reinsman Gary Hall jun. is excited at the prospect of driving inexperienced New Zealand-bred four-year-old Ideal Justice for the first time when the stallion starts from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m Sky Racing Pathway Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ideal Justice raced three times in New Zealand for a first-up win and two seconds and he is unbeaten at two WA starts when driven by Alysha Johnston and Clint Hall. He raced without cover before careering away for easy wins in his two WA starts.
“I haven’t driven him in a race and I’m pretty excited at seeing what he feels like,” Hall jun. said. “He’s been very impressive.
“He’s a funny horse who doesn’t show much at home. He’s an insignificant sort of horse at home, who does nothing to grab anyone’s attention. But he has just come out and gone bang, bang.
“We had him for quite a long time and he had soreness issues and we couldn’t find anything. We stopped everything and turned him out for a while before starting again.”
Hall sen. said that Ideal Justice kept going lame. “So I just put him in a box for six weeks,” he explained. “He had no treatment and now he doesn’t show any sign of any problem.”
by Ken Casellas