Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Alkira is an Aboriginal name meaning Sent from Heaven, and the South-West Brockman family has enjoyed plenty of success over the past 25 years with pacers with Alkira in their names and pedigree.
It all began with Alkira Star, who had a brief but successful career, racing ten times in 2000 for four wins,at Cunderdin, Northam, Harvey and Bunbury, and four placings for stakes of $10,550.
And since then, the family has bred a succession of good pacers, including Alkira Star’s foals Alkira Jet (45 starts for 17 wins, eight placings and $134,835), Alkira Jetstar (44 starts for 15 wins, seven placings and $162,957) and Alkira Quattro Jet (19 starts for three wins, seven placings and $18,735).
Alkira Jet has kept up the good work, having produced four winners, Hotshot Hall (30 starts for seven wins, eight placings and $37,514), Alkiras Desire (30 starts for eight wins, ten placings and $62,663), Gingers Jet (52 starts for nine wins, ten placings and $35,928) and Auckland Jet (40 starts for ten wins, seven placings and $67,274).
It was Auckland Jet, a big eight-year-old gelding, who was to the fore with a surprise victory as an outsider as a $69,20 chance on the tote when he surged home to win the $31,000 APGOLD.com.au Summer Series Westbred final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven by Chris Voak for Waterloo trainer Vanessa Brockman (58), who races the Auckland Reactor gelding in partnership with her father Neville and George Robinson, he began from the outside of the back line before Voak quickly got him into a good position, one-out and two-back, while Torpedo Rock ($9) was setting the pace after dashing forward from barrier five to take the lead after 150m from the polemarker and $1.65 favourite Princess Katie.
Bettor Arcade ($3.60) raced in the breeze in the middle stages, giving Follow Rocknroll ($71) an ideal trail, one-out and one-back. Follow Rocknroll got to a narrow lead 50m from home before he was swamped late by Auckland Jet, who ran on strongly from fourth on the home bend.
Auckland Jet gave Vanessa Brockman her first city training success since Alkiras Desire finished powerfully from the rear to beat Sea Me Smile at Gloucester Park on February 2, 2018. Her major victories as an owner and trainer came when Morgan Woodley drove Alkira Jetstar to win the Group 3 features, the Race For Roses and the WASBA Breeders Stakes in May 2012.
Voak said that Auckland Jet would have won a lot easier had he not hung badly. “I couldn’t get him around the home bend,” he said.