Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Highly-regarded New Zealand-bred four-year-old Major Perry will make his West Australian debut when he lines up at barrier No. 6 in the 2130m Direct Trades Supply Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He arrived at the Forrestdale stables of champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond in mid-May and has not appeared at trials. But his superb form in New Zealand, New South Wales and Victoria suggests that he should prove too good for his six rivals.
Major Perry will be driven by Deni Roberts and his rivals, who are older and more experienced, include American Arma, a smart all-the-way winner last Friday night, the in-form Moonlite Drive, the speedy frontrunner Eldaytona, the resuming Rascal and the veteran Whatabro.
Major Perry has raced 28 times for eight wins and eight placings for stakes of $194,516. His most recent appearance was 20 weeks ago when he finished fourth behind Nicholas Cage, Akuta and Copy That in the group 3 Founders Cup over 1700m at Alexandra Park.
He was an outstanding two-year-old, finishing fourth behind Montana DJ in the group 1 Young Guns Cardigan Bay Stakes at Alexandra Park, third behind Akuta in a $200,000 feature event at Addington, fourth to Akuta in a group 1 1980m event at Addington, and second to the brilliant Akuta in the group 1 1609m Emerald at Cambridge.
As a three-year-old Major Perry finished fourth behind Akuta in the Northern Derby at Alexandra Park, won a heat of the New South Wales Derby at Menangle (beating the brilliant Captain Ravishing by a half-head) and finished second to the outstanding colt Leap To Fame (1.54.1) in the 2400m final early in 2022.
He finished powerfully to win a heat of the 2760m Victoria Derby at Melton in October, beating Ripp by a short half-head at a 1.55.7 rate, before finishing sixth behind Leap To Fame (1.54.4) in the final.
Six-year-old Whatabro is sure to appreciate a drop in class. He boasts a good record of 142 starts for 27 wins and 44 placings for stakes of $249,021.
Veteran South Australian trainer-reinsman Darren Billinger, holidaying in Perth, will drive Whatabro (who is part-owned by his wife Julie) for Coolup trainer Michael Brennan.
Billinger has driven Whatabro 66 times for 18 wins and 28 placings. He sent the Four Starzzz Shark gelding to Brennan a couple of years ago — after he had sent Futurist and Whenmechief to be trained by Brennan in 2018, with both those pacers winning city-class events at Gloucester Park.
Billinger’s most recent training and driving success was with Steinman at Globe Derby Park on May 15 this year. The 61-year-old Billinger is best known as the trainer and driver of Come On Frank, a half-brother to Whatabro. Come On Frank was driven by Billinger at all of his 130 starts that produced 61 wins, 26 seconds and twelve thirds for stakes of $404,650.