Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
“He’s a bit of an emu, skinny and weedy, but he’s the fastest horse I’ve ever had,” said trainer Michael Young after Emily Suvaljko had brought Heez A Vibe home with a sizzling burst of speed from last at the bell to score an effortless win in the $21,000 Welcome To 2025 Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“Point to point, he is the fastest horse I’ve trained,” said Young. “He’s not the best I’ve had, nor the strongest, but he is the fastest.”
Heez A Vibe has been in Young’s Mardella stables for about four months, and he has scored easy victories at his first four starts for Young, three in Albany in December and his brilliant win on Friday night.
Four-year-old Heez A Vibe, bred in New South Wales, was purchased for $27,500 by Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell at the 2022 APG Perth yearling sale.
“I bought him, but the people we bought him for pulled out, so we got stuck with him, and Kody Charles (the colt’s vendor at the sale) ended up buying him back,” said Bell.
Bell then trained Heez A Vibe for the pacer’s first 15 starts for three wins as a two and three-year-old as well as an excellent fourth behind Menemsha in the Pearl Classic as a two-year-old in August 2023.
“Ryan was having some health problems with Heez A Vibe and Kody asked me to take him over,” said Young.
Bell said that Heez A Vibe was a decent little horse with good speed, but he had considerable problems getting him to eat.
Emily Suvaljko, who has driven Heez A Vibe for his four wins from his first four starts for Young, said: “I was quite confident tonight, despite starting from the outside barrier. At his previous start at Albany he put the writing on the wall when I was able to settle him, sit him up and pull him out when he rated 1.55.3.
“I didn’t even hit him or pull the ear plugs; he had that much left. The early pressure tonight helped him.”
Heez A Vibe is by Tintin In America and is the second foal out of Art Major mare Lettucerockher, who finished at the rear in all of her nine appearances in New South Wales in 2015 and 2016 before she was retired. Heez A Vibe has now earned $69,755 from seven wins and two placings from 19 starts.
Young and Suvaljko continued in fine style at the Albany meeting on Saturday night when they combined to win with Illawong Mustang ($1.40) and Machlani ($2.40). Young also was successful with Princess Katie ($1.30).