Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Ever since I covered the 1956 August Cup meeting at Gloucester Park as a 19-year-old, freshly anointed as the chief harness writer for The West Australian newspaper, I have thoroughly enjoyed describing the emotions and portraying the excitement and joy of owners, trainers and drivers.
I was fortunate when my first pacer, Yuna Boy, trained by Joe Petricevich and driven by Leo Keys, led all the way and won on debut at the old York track in 1965. Yuna Boy went on to win nine races, and since then I have raced many dozens of pacers with varying degrees of success.
On Friday night at Gloucester Park I experienced the thrill of winning a major feature event — and was left with the daunting task of interviewing myself after Trent Wheeler had driven Simply Shaz to a splendid victory in the $75,000 Direct Trades Supply Empress Stakes.
The euphoria that part-owner — and first-time owner — Daniel Catalano and I shared after the photo finish revealed that Simply Shaz, a $11.10 chance had held on by a head to beat the $2.90 second favourite Wonderful To Fly was shattered and our spirits took a substantial dive when course commentator Richard Bell sounded the warning siren to indicate that a protest had been lodged by Shane Young, driver of Wonderful To Fly.
The heart palpitations that I experienced when watching Simply Shaz gallantly defying late challenges for ascendancy returned two-fold, like an icy blast.
My feverish thoughts of what I was preparing to say after Gloucester Park president John Burt had conducted the presentation ceremony flew out of the window. Daniel, the president and I waited for what seemed an eternity before the announcement came to inform us all that the protest was unsuccessful.
By this time the runners were on the track for the following event, leaving no time for a presentation. But Dan and I were able to celebrate, and so, too, were trainer and part-owner Peter Anderson and our co-owners Ross Waddell and Max Hall.
“I bought Simply Shaz in New Zealand for $50,000 landed because she is very well bred,” said Anderson. Simply Shaz, a big five-year-old mare by American Ideal, has shown steady improvement since arriving in Western Australia in December 2020.
Her 53 WA starts have produced 14 wins, 13 placings and stakes of $134,059. She is proving to be an iron horse, having raced almost week-in, week-out, with 44 starts over the past 14 months.
“This busy program is something I have done a lot,” said Anderson. “I have a system I use, similar to the system I employed with pacers like Mighty Flying Thomas, Bronze Seeker and Allwoods Rocknroll, who thrived on a busy schedule of racing. It is a little system that works, and it is the race runs that keeps the horses fit.”
Simply Shaz is not recognised as having good gate speed, but in recent weeks she has improved dramatically, and Wheeler was determined to take full advantage of the No. 1 barrier on Friday night.
Simply Shaz won the start and Wheeler had to fend off $41 chance My Prayer in the early stages, and then $8.50 chance Three Rumours issued a spirited challenge after a lap.
“I wasn’t worried when challenged by My Prayer even when she got her head in front of us,” said Wheeler. “And when Chris Lewis challenged with Three Rumours I was not about to relinquish the lead, particularly as Three Rumours had raced three wide for the first lap.
“Overall, we got things pretty comfortable, so I was happy to hold the front.”
Wheeler said that he had chatted with Lindsay Harper before Friday night’s race because Harper had driven Simply Shaz the previous Friday night when the mare had finished third behind Wonderful To Fly and Nevermindthechaos.
“Lindsay had driven Simply Shaz a few times while I was driving her stablemates at Albany,” he said. “He told me that I would be better off having Simply Shaz on the gate, rather than chasing the gate.” This was good advice, with Simply Shaz revealing excellent gate speed and being able to get to the front without undue pressure.
Wonderful To Fly trailed Simply Shaz throughout and was hampered for room in the final circuit before getting clear in the closing stages. Nevermindthechaos was dogged by bad luck after starting from the outside (barrier nine) on the front line.
Nevermindthechaos settled at the rear and she met with interference and broke into a gallop racing out of the front straight the second time. She lost several lengths before Gary Hall Jnr quickly dashed her forward to move to the breeze.
She was still second on the home turn, but was making no serious impression on Simply Shaz in the straight before she met with interference in the closing stages, causing Hall to be dislodged from the sulky.
While Simply Shaz provided a great thrill for first-time owners Daniel Catalano and Max Hall, her win on Friday night gave me one of my most important victories in the sport I love, vying with The Real Ideal’s Group 1 victory in the Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and gelding in July 2016 and Group 3 wins with Move Over’s win in the 2011 Higgins Memorial, Medley Moose’s win in the 2014 Kalgoorlie Cup and Bronze Seeker’s win in the 2014 Albany Cup.
I have enjoyed my 340-odd wins as an owner and part-owner, with my favourite horses being Lisharry (16 wins), Corza Commotion (nine), Mighty Flying Thomas (18), Bronze Seeker (17), Rocky Marciano (16), Questionable Gesture (seven), Mexicano (11), Smooth Jasper (nine) and Simply Shaz (14).