Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Breeder-owner Tracey Massimini and Bunbury trainer John Graham had high hopes of a successful career for Douseeme after she had performed in grand style as a two-year-old late in 2023.
The Alta Christiano filly had led and won a race at Pinjarra by more than four lengths and had been placed behind brilliant youngsters Xceptional Arma and Madam Publisher.
But then her career appeared to be over when she fractured the sesamoid bone in her off hind leg. “The initial diagnosis was that she wouldn’t race again,” said Graham after Emily Suvaljko had driven Douseeme to victory in the $21,000 Westral Quality Since 1973 Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Douseeme was out of action for 17 months before she recovered from her broken leg, and she was making her second appearance on Friday night in her comeback campaign.
She was the $2.90 favourite from the No. 2 barrier, with Suvaljko quickly positioning her in the favourable one-out, one-back position while the polemarker and $4.20 second fancy Diamond World was setting a solid pace.
Suvaljko waited until 700m from home before switching Douseeme three wide, and the four-year-old dashed to the front with 425m to travel.
Back On Line ($19) was 11TH at the bell and he ran home fast out five wide to finish second, a half-head from the winner.
“She hit the front and then didn’t know what to do,” said Suvaljko. “She is still very inexperienced.”
Graham said that he was getting Douseeme ready to race as a three-year-old when she fractured her sesamoid. “She bucked in her yard and kicked the bottom of the steel gate and fractured her off hind leg,” he said. “She seems alright now.”
Douseeme is the third foal out of the Live Or Die mare Nowuseemelive, who had two starts in December 2013 for a third at Bunbury and a win at Harvey before breaking down and being retired.
Nowuseemelive is out of Nowuseemenowudont, who had 65 starts for 16 wins, 20 placings and $116,931. Nowuseemenowudont’s dam Nowuseeme won the Group 3 Race For Roses in May 2009 which was one of her nine metro-class victories in a career of 88 starts which produced 23 wins, 25 placings and $287,234 in prizemoney.