Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Patience is a virtue, and champion driver Kate Gath’s plan to opt out of the early speed battle in the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park on Friday night paid handsome dividends when Catch A Wave stormed home from the rear to score a thrilling victory in the Group 1 feature event.
“It was a conscious decision not to get involved in the early speed,” said Gath. “When there was talk of a couple of horses aiming to lead it was easy enough for me to stay out and do as little as possible early, hoping that the race would be truly run.
“And it was, and Catch A Wave got his chance. It all fell into place, and it was exactly how I wanted the race to be run; it was just perfect.”
Catch A Wave possesses excellent gate speed and he had set the pace in 16 of his 36 starts for 13 wins, and it was, indeed, a wise decision to avoid the possibility of failing to get to the front from the No. 4 barrier and being left in the breeze or trapped three wide.
Catch A Wave, trained by Gath’s husband Andy, was fifth favourite at $7.30, and he raced in seventh position, one-out and three-back, while the polemarker and $4.80 chance Spirit Of St Louis was setting the pace after easily winning the start from the $4 favourite Hot And Treacherous, with Never Ending ($5.50) enjoying a perfect trip behind the frontrunner.
Minstrel, a $6.50 chance from the outside of the front line of nine runners, was restrained back to last while Lavra Joe ($12) began speedily from out wide at barrier eight and charged forward in an unsuccessful bid for the early lead.
Cameron Hart was in no mood to surrender the breeze position to Lavra Joe, forcing Kyle Harper to restrain the powerful six-year-old back to last after racing three wide for the first circuit.
After a fast lead time of 65.4sec. the pace slackened with Spirit Of St Louis running the opening quarters of the final mile in 29.1sec. and 30.4sec. After a lap Deni Roberts set Minstrel alight, and the seven-year-old sprinted brilliantly to assume the breeze position, thus allowing Hot And Treacherous to gain the favourable one-out and one-back position.
With 950m to travel Kate Gath eased Catch A Wave three wide, and then Hart switched Hot And Treacherous three wide, enabling Catch A Wave to follow him in the final circuit which saw Spirit Of St Louis fading and Minstrel getting his nose in front with 420m to travel.
Minstrel turned for home in front but was unable to withstand the fast-finishing Catch A Wave, who gained the upper hand 75 metres from the post on his way to defeating Minstrel by a length after final 400m sections of 28.8sec. and 28.6sec.
Lavra Joe was tenth and last at the 300m before he surged home powerfully, three wide, to finish fourth. It was an outstanding performance.
Approaching the home turn Never Ending, Mighty Ronaldo, Jumpingjackmac and Blitzembye were tightened and lost valuable ground.
Catch A Wave, owned by Victorian Pauline Matthews and competing for slot holder Rob Tomlinson’s Regency Foods Australia company, rated 1.55.7 over the 2536m journey and he took his record to 37 starts for 21 wins (including the Chariots Of Fire and Miracle Mile at Menangle early last year among his six Group 1 victories).
Catch A Wave was purchased for $82,000 at the Melbourne 2020 APG yearling sale and he has now earned $2,042,088 in prizemoney. His win on Friday night gave Andy Gath his 58TH Group 1 success, and it was Kate Gath’s 55TH Group 1 win.
Catch A Wave has been trained by Andy Gath throughout his career, and Kate Gath has driven him in all his starts. “Now we have got a Group 1 win in every State, and that’s something I’m pretty proud of,” said Kate Gath.
“I felt bad beating Minstrel (who is part-owned and trained by Greg and Skye Bond), and after the race I said ‘sorry’ to Deni. Catch A Wave has been at the Bond stable for the past couple of weeks, and Greg and Skye and Deni have looked after us so well.”
Catch A Wave will now be a leading candidate for the $300,000 Retravision Fremantle Cup over 2936m next Friday night. “The Nullarbor was the main race we came over for but we’re looking forward to the Fremantle Cup, as well,” said Kate Gath.
Catch A Wave is by the American stallion Captaintreacherous and is out of the New Zealand-bred mare Coppagoodone, a modest performer on the racetrack who had 18 starts for two wins, six placings and $13,423. Coppagoodone won at one of her eight New Zealand starts, finished second at two of her four Victorian appearances, and raced eight times at Menangle in New South Wales for one win and two placings.
Catch A Wave has inherited much of his tremendous ability from his maternal granddam Copper Beach, who had 37 starts for nine wins, including the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Addington in May 2004, and the Group 1 Victoria Oaks at Moonee Valley in July 2004. Catch A Wave also is related to former star pacer and successful sire Elsu, who amassed $2,083,352 from 27 wins and nine placings from 47 starts.