Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
There was virtually no interest in lot 604 at the 2019 APG Perth yearling sale when the Auckland Reactor filly was passed in without reaching her $10,000 reserve price tag.
Prominent Hopeland breeder Mike Howie received no offers after the sale, so he was happy to oblige by keeping her and train her himself. He left the sale quite content that of the eight previous yearlings he had offered, seven had been sold for a total of $144,500.
This was a sound decision because the filly, now the six-year-old mare Secret Reaction, raced by Howie’s wife Sharron, boosted her earnings to $93,601 when Aiden De Campo drove her to an impressive victory in the $30,000 Coulson Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Secret Reaction has been an honest performer who has enjoyed a racing career of 96 starts for nine wins and 15 placings.
She is the eighth foal out of Secret Operative, a mare Howie bred from the unraced Golden Greek mare Myonos Gold.
“Secret Operative had only a handful of starts before she fractured a knee and had to be retired,” said Howie. Her six starts in 2005 and 2006 produced one placing, a second at Kellerberrin, before becoming an excellent brood mare who has produced six winners of a total of fifty races.
The best of Secret Operative’s foals has been Secret Operation, who earned $134,058 from 17 wins and 33 placings from 108 starts.
Secret Reaction is the eighth and final foal out of Secret Operative. She has drawn barrier No. 4 in race eight at Pinjarra on Monday, a 1177m dash, with Howie saying she would contest the race providing she pulled up well after her run on Friday night.
“She showed her liking for the lightning lap sprint when she finished a half-length second to Blazing Reactor three starts ago,” said Howie. “She is close to the end of her racing career as she is in foal to King Of Swing.”
Secret Reaction was a $13.30 chance from barrier three, and De Campo stole a march on his rivals by getting the mare away to a fast start and then getting her to relax with a slow lead time of 38.6sec. and casual opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 30.3sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.6sec. and 29.7sec. She rated 1.59.7.
Our Lady Jen, the $2.15 favourite from barrier four, was in the breeze until Chambray ($23) charged forward with a three-wide burst from the rear to assume the position outside of the pacemaker after about a lap. Our Lady Jen then was hopelessly blocked for a clear run in the final lap and was a most unlucky ninth.
“Secret Reaction got across to lead without too much trouble,” said De Campo. “When they (Jackie Daniels and Tiger Lou) strode up three deep at the bell we had our main dangers one-one (Our Lady Jen) and three back on the fence (Pocket The Change) and I just stacked them up around the (final) corner which made it nice and easy for us.”