Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Badlands Hanover mare Lovera was bred in New Zealand 2002 and did grace the racetrack. She arrived in WA as a three-year-old and has proved her worth at stud, having produced outstanding fillies Artemis Belle and Eagle Rox.
Her third filly foal to race is Ruby Lovera, who has excellent prospects of winning the $50,000 group 3 Westral Diamond Classic final for three-year-old fillies at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Artemis Belle and Eagle Rox dominated feature events for two and three-year-old fillies, with Artemis Belle winning at six of her eight starts as a two-year-old, including the group 1 Sales Classic and group 3 Gold Bracelet before she had 15 starts as a three-year-old for eleven wins, including the group 1 WA Oaks and group 3 Daintys Daughter Classic.
Eagle Rox had 14 starts as a two and three-year-old for six wins, including the group 1 $60,000 Diamond Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2012.
Ruby Lovera, prepared by astute Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice, has a favourable barrier at No. 2 on the front line on Friday night, and she will have the services of champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. Her eleven starts have produced four wins, three seconds and one third placing for stakes of $87,028.
The Diamond Classic for three-year-olds has been run for the past seven years, with Prentice and Hall combining to win the event with Majorpride in 2019, a year after they had joined forces for Majorpride’s victory in the two-year-old version of the classic.
The only other filly to have won both legs of the Diamond Classic is the Mike Reed-trained Water Lou, who was successful in 2023 and 2024.
Ruby Lovera gave a sample of her class when she won the two-year-old Diamond Classic as a $18.40 chance in August 2024 when she trailed the pacemaker and $2.50 favourite Bettagetonpip and Kyle Harper brought her home with a spirited burst to beat that filly by a half-neck.
Ruby Lovera warmed up in style for Friday night’s feature event in fine style with a powerful victory in the second qualifying heat on Tuesday of last week when she was driven by Trent Wheeler, with Prentice and Hall enjoying a well-deserve holiday in Exmouth.
Ruby Lovera, an $8 chance from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line, was restrained at the start and raced in tenth position before following a three-wide move by Delulu approaching the bell.
With Delulu then moving to the breeze, Ruby Lovera enjoyed the one-out, one-back trail before Wheeler switched her three wide with 350m to travel. Ruby Lovera sprinted strongly to take the lead in the final stages and win by a half-length from the pacemaker Wicked Lover.
Wheeler also drove the winner of the first qualifying heat, with the Frank Nafranec-trained Reinette setting the pace and holding on to win by a half-head from Popponthebeach. Reinette ran the 2130m in 2min.36.1sec. which was slower than the 2min.55.3sec. time recorded by Ruby Lovera.
Wheeler will handle Reinette this week, with the filly drawing awkwardly at barrier No. 7. “She is versatile, she is a good leader who can also race with a sit as well as doing a bit of work in her races,” said Wheeler. “She was racing first-up for seven weeks when she won her heat, and she will improve on that run.”
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell is looking for a solid performance from his consistent filly Wicked Lover, a winner of four races who set a brisk pace in the second qualifying heat and fought on grimly to finish a close second to Ruby Lovera.
She will begin from the No. 4 barrier with Kyle Symington in the sulky on Friday night. “She is as honest as the day in long,” said Bell. “She has had a long campaign, but she will make it hard for her rivals if she is able to lead and roll along.”
Ruby Lou, to be driven by Shannon Suvaljko for trainer Mike Reed, is handily drawn at the No. 2 barrier on the back line and is capable of bold performance, while Delulu, to be handled by Deni Roberts for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has excellent potential and has the speed and strength to overcome the disadvantage of the wide draw at barrier eight.