Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko was seen at her brilliant best at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she landed four winners, including the two Group 3 feature events.
She drove a copybook race to win the $50,000 Allwood Stud Four and Five-Year-Old Championship with the inexperienced four-year-old Alta Tribute, 28 minutes after scoring with Penny Black in the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes.
This was the second time the 24-year-old Suvaljko had won four events at a Gloucester Park meeting, following her victories with Hesashark, Sokys Bigbullet, Sahara Storm and Battlescard on December 17, 2021.
She also drove four winners at a meeting at Pinjarra on July 19, 2021, with Rockin Rufus, Burghley Shard, Leosabi and The White Rabbit, and at Albany last December when she scored with Vintage Blu, Heez A Vibe, Lets Rock Tonight and Shoal Bay.
Her best meeting was at Kellerberrin on June 2, 2024, when she notched five winners Lets Rock Tonight, Rocknroll Train, Tux And Tails, Shes A Mare and Agent Booth.
Suvaljko didn’t rest on her laurels on Friday night, travelling to Bunbury on Saturday night for two drives, $21 chance Jilliby Mojito (who finished fourth) and Iseeubaby (when she contested an event which was abandoned), and then going to Kellerberrin on Sunday for five drives for a double with Shes A Mare and Alexandra Thegreat as well as two thirds and a fifth placing.
Suvaljko now has driven 49 winners this season and is in second place behind Gary Hall jnr (79 wins) on the State drivers’ premiership table. Her career tally now stands at an impressive 717 wins.
Alta Tribute, drawn ideally at barrier one, was the $3.70 second fancy behind his stablemate, the five-year-old Im The Black Flash, the $2.60 favourite from the No. 2 barrier.
Both pacers are trained by Gary Hall Snr, who also was represented by Skylou, a $41 outsider from out wide at barrier eight.
“Senior told me to come out with Alta Tribute and sit on Stuey (Stuart McDonald, driving Im The Black Flash),” said Suvaljko.
As expected, Im The Black Flash took up the running after resisting an early challenge from Gully Gum ($17), leaving Alta Tribute trailing the leader before Suvaljko eased him off the pegs approaching the home turn and hitting the front 110m from the post and winning by just under a length from $8 chance Lusaka, who raced three back on the pegs before sprinting home fast, out three wide. Im The Black Flash finished a length farther back in third place.
“Alta Tribute is still a bit green, and I had to remind him with a lap to go to be a racehorse,” said Suvaljko. “After hitting the front, he was waiting for them for a bit.”
After a fast lead time of 35.6sec. the opening quarters were run in comfortable times of 30.3sec. and 29.7sec. before the final 800m was run in 56.2sec., with the winner rating a smart 1.54.7 over the 2130m.
Alta Tribute was driven for the first time for Suvaljko, who was given the drive because Hall Jnr was in Exmouth enjoying a well-deserved holiday.
Alta Tribute is by former brilliant pacer Alta Christiano and is the second foal out of Grinfromeartoear mare Harriet Price, who was retired after her 17 starts produced two wins (in New Zealand) before racing in WA for one second placing (at Bunbury) from eight starts. Her first foal High Price has earned $167,231 from 11 wins and 22 placings from 65 starts.
Friday night’s triumph gave Hall Snr his eighth win in the Four and Five-Year-Old Championship, following successes with Love Of Glory (1990), Zakara (1991), Make The Rules (1999), Northview Punter (2014), Chicago Bull (2018), Texas Tiger (2021) and Mister Smartee (2024). For Suvaljkjo, it was her second win in this event, following her success with the Michael Young-trained Doc Holliday, who beat Arma Einstein and Ideal Agent in April 2022.