Shockwave reappeared after a seven-month absence in magnificent fashion at Gloucester Park on Friday night with a devastating victory in the $25,000 Winter Cup over 2536m.
In what was billed as a match race between Shockwave, having his first start as a five-year-old, and champion eight-year-old Chicago Bull, a winner of 61 races and $2,330,733 in prizemoney, developed into a one-act affair.
The Ryan Bell-trained Shockwave was second fancy at $2.40, with Chicago Bull the $2.35 favourite, with Michael Grantham, driving Shockwave for the first time as the replacement for the suspended Aiden de Campo, stealing the show by driving him to a runaway all-the-way win, beating $17 chance Perfect Major by just over seven lengths at a 1.55.5 rate.
Chicago Bull, who had defeated Shockwave in five consecutive starts late last year, began from barrier six and raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, for the first 1200m before Gary Hall Jnr sent him forward three wide to move to the breeze with 1100m to travel.
Chicago Bull was third 400m from home before wilting to finish eighth, and his trainer Gary Hall Snr said that he would now send the ageing champion for a spell after five starts without a win in his current campaign.
Star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr was disappointed with Chicago Bull’s performance, saying: “He’s definitely not right and has a few niggles.”
Shockwave’s win gave Gloucester Park Harness Racing’s vice-president Kevin Jeavons a treble in consecutive events, following the wins of Blue Blazer and Rakasinc. Jeavons went close to earning a fourth win on the night when the Bell-trained Speedwagon finished second to Hope in an 1823m event for two-year-olds at Narrogin.
Plans to send Shockwave to Melbourne to contest the rich Victoria Cup at Melton in October are in the melting pot. “Ryan is keen to look at it, and we will keep our options open,” said Jeavons. “It’s possible, but with Covid it could be pretty difficult.
“Shockwave’s win was pretty impressive. I would’ve been happy to win by a length. But he is very fresh and keen. He didn’t pull that hard but was keen to go.”
by Ken Casellas