Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Tricky Miki moved into elite company at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he won the $200,000 Retravision Golden Nugget to become only the fourth pacer in the history of WA harness racing to complete the rare treble of winning the three major Group 1 events as a two, three and four-year-old.
His magnificent frontrunning performance and effortless win followed his victories in the Group 1 Golden Slipper in July 2021 and the Group 1 WA Derby in November 2022.
The only other pacers to have won those three prestigious events are Salinger, Saab and Beaudiene Boaz.
Driven with supreme confidence and skill by Maddison Brown, Tricky Miki, an $8.30 chance, gave astute Boyanup horseman Justin Prentice his first success in the Golden Nugget as a trainer, eleven years after he drove the Michael Brennan-trained Im Victorious to victory over Bettor Reason.
Tricky Miki’s victory gave Brown a wonderful birthday present. She turns 28 on Wednesday after joining rare company in becoming the second female driver to win the Golden Nugget, following the footsteps of Victorian Anne Frawley (the elder sister of the late St Kilda football champion Danny Frawley) who was successful with Vanderport in 1986.
Brown also emulated the performance of her father Colin, who drove Minstrel to win the 2021 Nugget.
This was her fourth success in a Group 1 feature event, following wins with Longreach Bay (Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings in June 2020), Xceptional Arma (Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in September this year) and Skylou (WA Derby in November this year).
Prentice said that Brown had driven a perfect race after leaving the tactics up to her. Brown took the bold approach and got Tricky Miki away fast from the No. 3 barrier, and the gelding was able to hold out Lucca (barrier five) and Youre So Fine (barrier eight) to take up the running.
The $3 favourite My Ultimate Ronnie settled down in tenth position after starting from the outside of the back line. Cameron Hart sent him forward with a three-wide burst 650m after the start. But Hart failed in an attempt to move to the breeze and was then forced to restrain the horse back to the rear.
After opening quarters of 29.8sec. and 30.5sec. Tricky Miki dashed over the final 400m sections in 29.1sec. and 28.6sec. to win by four lengths from the $5.50 second fancy Wonderful To Fly, who gave a superb performance.
She was eleventh on the pegs at the bell and was still eleventh with 350m to travel before Shane Young took her four wide, and the mare charged home, out five wide. Soho Dow Jones ($11) fought on well to finish third after trailing the leader all the way.
Hoppys Way ($12) raced in sixth position, three back on the pegs, and was blocked for a clear run until very late, when he flashed home to finish fourth. “He was really unlucky,” said reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “He couldn’t get a run until very late, and he was charging on the line.”
After tough runs, My Ultimate Ronnie (10TH) and Youre So Fine (11TH) faded, while Alcopony ($18) finished strongly from tenth at the bell to be fifth.
Prentice has had his concerns with Tricky Miki, saying: “I’ve had feet issues and ulcer problems with him. It has been hard to put condition on him because he wouldn’t eat, and he lost weight.
“With each preparation I’ve learnt more about him, and I have been able to sort things out. He’s now eating a lot better and looks a lot better.”
Prentice purchased Tricky Miki for $57,500 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale. The gelding, bred by Steve Johnson and owned by Prentice and several stable clients, has now earned $482,721 from eleven wins and nine placings from 25 starts.
He is by American sire Always B Miki and is out of the Modern Art mare Harriet Elisabeth, who raced 36 times for 11 wins, nine placings and $114,348. Her major success was in the Western Crown Classic for two-year-old fillies in March 2013.
Prentice has no set plans at the moment for Tricky Miki. But he is likely to be set for major races in the New Year, including the $50,000 Pinjarra Cup on March 4 and the $300,000 Fremantle Cup on April 26.