62 SPORT
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 2016
Whyte the leading light
MULTIPLE Hong
Kong
champion jockey Douglas
Whyte has steered Scales Of
Justice to an all-the-way win in
the Group 1 Railway Stakes
(1600m) in Perth yesterday.
Whyte got the call-up to
ride the Lindsey Smith-trained
gelding when Paul Harvey was
suspended last Saturday when
Scales Of Justice won the
Group 3 R J Peters Stakes.
A week later, Scales Of Justice ($9) was back at Ascot to
score a dominant 2¾-length
victory over last year’s winner,
the Chris Waller-trained Good
Project ($9) with $4.60 favourite Perfect Reflection third.
It was the second Australian
Group 1 win for Whyte, who
rode the Waller-trained Moriarty to take out the 2014 Kingston Town Stakes at Ascot.
“It’s good to get another
Group 1 in Western Australia,”
Whyte said.
“I was confident at the
1400m.
“Lindsey gave me confidence and said if nothing else
wants to lead, you lead.
“When I turned for home
and pressed the button, he had
a whole lot of engine there.”
Smith said he would enjoy
the moment and discuss plans
with owner Chris Wells before
deciding whether Scales Of
Justice would tackle the Kingston Town in two weeks.
“We got Douglas down here
and he showed why he’s been
champion jockey in Hong
Kong so many times,” he said.
Earlier Damian Lane made
a triumphant homecoming to
win the WA Guineas (1600m)
on Variation ($19) for trainer
Stephen Miller.
The Melbourne-based Lane
lost his Railway ride when the
well-supported Darren Weirtrained Rageese was scratched
with a foot abscess.
After being in an awkward
position at the top of the
straight, Variation came up the
inside to beat the $4 favourite
Ellicazoom by half a length.
“It didn’t look good at the
top of the straight but he got
the run on the inside,” Lane
said. “I’m rapt to be home.”
It was big result for Miller,
who said Variation would now
have a spell.
“He was up in class but we
had to have a dip at it,” Miller
said. “It was great to get his
(Lane’s) services. It’s bloody
tremendous.”
Hosking’s
ready for
Villain to
nab award
Felicia Bergstrand returns to scale on
board the Kerry Petrick-trained five-yearold gelding Statue Of Warriors after they
combined to win the Channel 10 Handicap
(1300m) at Fannie Bay yesterday
Picture: HELEN ORR
JOSH SPASARO
Bergstrand
steers star
sprinter to
cosy victory
JOSH SPASARO
DARWIN trainer Kerry Petrick’s gelding Statue Of Warriors continued his strong form,
winning the $17,000 feature –
the opening event on the program – at Fannie Bay yesterday.
The five-year-old, with
Felicia Bergstrand in the saddle, was too good in the Benchmark 73 Handicap over 1300m,
beating pre-race favourite Empress O’Reilly by almost two
lengths.
Garry Lefoe’s five-year-old
mare has taken to the Top End
dirt track after relocating to
the Territory capital from
Alice Springs during the Darwin Cup Carnival, winning two
of his past two races there before yesterday.
But Statue Of Warriors was
always going to be tough to
beat.
Petrick’s star sprinter won
the Katherine Cup on August
6, before finishing second to
Gary Clarke’s Ticket To Toorak in WFA conditions at Darwin on November 5.
Ticket To Toorak has won
his past four straight races.
It was another good day out
for Petrick, her four-year-old
Multizone also winning race
three’s 0-64 Handicap over
1200m.
It was a narrow win, with
Bergstrand guiding the gelding
home by just under a length
over Clarke’s Engine Fifty
Five.
Multizone did not quite
meet Petrick’s expectations
during the Darwin Cup Carnival, so she gave him a threemonth spell.
It’s done the trick – he’s
won his first two races back at
Fannie Bay.
David Bates’ King Kev was
a huge winner in race five’s
0-70 Handicap with Raymond
Vigar in the saddle.
The seven-year-old gelding
was a resounding almost eightlength winner over Philip
Cole’s Ville De Berne in the
1600m race.
Bates had another winner
in race two’s Maiden Plate
over 1200m, with four-yearold mare Gasoline Alley triumphing by almost four
lengths over Moussambani.
Cole’s five-year-old picked
up his second consecutive second place.
Leading Darwin trainer
Clarke rarely walks away from
a Top End meet empty-handed.
And he celebrated another
win when stable jockey and top
Darwin rider Brendon Davis
guided five-year-old gelding
King Kazou to a three-length
win over Tayarn Halter’s Youknowthedrill in race four’s
Benchmark 54 Handicap over
1100m.
Clarke leads all Darwin
trainers with 15 wins this season followed by Petrick with
10.
Alice Springs’ Lisa Lefoe
leads all Northern Territory
trainers with 22 wins.
Davis is currently the top
jockey in the NT with 21 wins
in the saddle, while Bergstrand
is third on 13½ victories.
French flyer Pilote D’essai finally delivers on early promising form
A DARING ride by apprentice
Regan Bayliss has paved the
way for imported galloper Pilote D’essai to take out the Ballarat Cup.
Jumping from the thirdwidest barrier in yesterday’s
2200m Listed race, Bayliss had
Pilote D’essai in front soon
after leaving the straight. It
was a well-orchestrated plan
on a track favouring horses
racing on the speed but, more
important, on the rails.
Kicking clear on the home
turn, Pilote D’essai ($16) was
swishing his tail down the Ballarat straight before recording
a two-length victory over
Scherzoso
($19),
with
Manageress ($18) three-quarters of a length away in third.
Bayliss said Pilote D’essai had
finally lived up to the potential
he had shown the stable in his
trackwork.
But more pleasing for Bayliss was to win the $300,000
race for Lindsay Park and the
“bosses”, David and Ben Hayes
and Tom Dabernig.
Bayliss said he was confident of success a long way
from home.
“He surprised me how easily he got to the front,” Bayliss
said. “As soon as I crossed Rising Romance and we got
around the back I steadied up
the speed and let him find his
rhythm.
“The way he relaxed underneath me I knew he would give
a very good kick. He was
strong though the line and
showed the promise that he
showed us in the stable.”
Dabernig said Pilote D’essai
had been stirred up in the raceday stalls but put his best foot
forward come race time.
Pilote D’essai was purchased from France for Lindsay Park clients and made a
huge impression with his debut
win at Bendigo in March. He
was expected to be a major
spring player but was frustrating the stable following three
second placings in five outings.
JAMIE Hosking already has
the 2016 Darwin Greyhound
Association
premiership
wrapped up.
And it can be argued Hosking’s Arnhen Villain (16 wins)
has already secured the Top
End’s best dog award, with
Graeme Ferns’ Emerley Fairy
and Daniel Rutherford’s Just
Vee next on 13 wins each, with
only five meets to go.
But Hosking will want his
star four-year-old to mount a
strong finish to a huge 2016
with another win in tonight’s
$985 race one over 383m at
Winnellie Park at 6.01pm.
Kennel mates Wayne Outwide and Good Bye Joan are
also good chances in a quality
field.
Hosking’s Little Vossy can’t
be ignored in the $1500 race
two over 537m, while Ron Phillips’ Slainte has good form over
this distance.
Race three over 383m looks
an even field, with Andrew
Lasker’s Bombay Rock a
chance from box one.
Four-year-old bitch Asia
Pacific returns after a twomonth spell for Jami Huish in
race four, while this run could
see Richard Smith’s Black Jungle (box two) break his maiden
status.
In-form trainer Russell
Savige has a couple of chances
in race five with veterans Tyler
Rocks and Noddin Off in the
mix.
The Graeme Scott pair of
Firebomb and Blue Away have
been around the mark and
must be given chances in race
six.
Solid performer Hanson
Harley (Scott) looks well graded in race seven and box eight
should assist his chances.
Last-start winners Hesitator (Scott), Night Harmony
(Savige) and Ess Class (Phillips) can also continue their
good form.
Nathan
Toms
has
newcomer Sheza Queen engaged in race eight and needs
to be monitored from box
eight.
Here To Party (Scott) is
probably the one to beat.
After a freshen up, the Peter
Donnolley-trained
Gossip
Park will take some catching in
race nine at 8.31pm.
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