Aussie News - August 4

By Adam Hamilton

It was only the first step, but Major Moth’s Albion Park win last night was a big step towards a IRT New Zealand Cup start at Addington on November 12.

The hype around the former star juvenile was massive going into his first start for Jason Grimson and the six-year-old delivered with a dominant win.

With driver Jack Callaghan seemingly nursing him, Major Moth worked to the front and cleared out late to win by seven metres over a brave Sure Thing Captain.

The time was slick, too. Major Moth’s 1min52.8sec mile rate was just 1.8sec outside Leap To Fame’s track record.

“He could be anything,” Grimson said before the race, “he’s qualified from a stand, too. We’ll aim him towards the Victoria Cup and see where we go from there, but he could be one we’d take to NZ.”

Major Moth, who won 13 of his 28 starts for Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin in Victoria, has been plagued by injuries. Last night was his first start since December 3, last year.

He won from a standing-start in a heat of the Golden Apple series in Tasmania on November 26, last year.

“He’ll have another run or two up here before I get him back to Menangle and look to the Victoria Cup,” Grimson said.

On the same card, Grimson also had another new stable addition, Curly James, win in slick time at his first start for the stable.

An emergency for the Miracle Mile earlier this year, Curly James sat behind Queensland speedster Blacksdance and came off his back to win strongly in a blistering 1min50.4sec mile rate for 1660m.

Sure Thing Captain’s run, after doing the work outside the leader, kept him in contention for one of the remaining TAB Eureka slots while star mare Eye Keep Smiling, the lone mare with a TAB Eureka slot, cruised to another easy victory at Albion Park last night.

X X X

Top Aussie pacer Catch A Wave is nearing a racetrack return.

Trainer Andy Gath said the five-year-old, who has won 22 of his 38 starts and banked almost $2 million, could resume at Melton next Saturday night.

Catch A Wave looked sharp beating just one rival in a Melton trial last Tuesday.

“He’ll either trial again or race this week … I’m leaning more towards a race,” Gath said. “We’ve got five weeks until his first big target, the Len Smith (Menangle on September 7) and he’ll have two runs before it.

“I’d like one of those to be the week before it because all his big wins have come when he’s backed-up a week after racing.”

Catch A Watch hasn’t raced since winning the $350,000 Group 1 Fremantle Cup at Gloucester Park on April 26.

It came a week after he won the $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor at the same track.

Beyond the Len Smith, Catch A Wave will head towards a clash with Leap To Fame in the $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup on October 12.

“And then, if we can sort suitable flights, we’ll take him back to Perth for the WA Cup in November,” Gath said.

X X X

One of Australia’s all-time greatest mares, Ladies In Red, has run her last race.

Owners Bill and Anne Anderson confirmed her retirement following a below par run in the recent Group 1 Golden Girl at Albion Park.

Ladies In Red, a daughter of Mach Three, raced just 37 times for 28 wins and earned almost $1.1 million.

She won seven Group 1 races, including successive Queen of the Pacifics and the 2022 Rising Sun in Queensland against the boys.

“In her prime, she was something else. She’d do things you didn’t think possible,” driver David Moran said.

X X X

Former NZ Oaks winner Aardiebytheseaside stretched her unbeaten WA record to four races with another easy Gloucester Park victory last Friday night.

The Team Bond-trained mare cruised to a 9.5m win and took her career record to 12 wins from just 25 starts.

There’s no doubt she’s got the potential to match it with the boys and could get the chance in a race like the WA Pacing Cup in November.

Earlier, her stablemate Tenzing Bromac landed a big betting plunge to upstage boom pacer Never Ending in the free-for-all.

Deni Roberts was able to work forward and take the lead on Tenzing Bromac, while Never Ending got back and finished strongly in blazing late splits to grab second.

Never Ending firmed into $2.50 favouritism for the $2.1mil TAB Eureka after running his closing splits in 55.5 and 27sec flat.

X X X

Exciting former Kiwi mare Treacherous Gall impressed winning her first Aussie run at Menangle last night.

Now with David Aiken, the four-year-old snared her ninth win from just 24 starts with young gun Will Rixon aboard in a 1min52sec mile.

X X X

Marvellous veteran Bulletproof Boy lifted after looking beaten to snatch yet another free-for-all win at Melton last night.

Scott Ewen’s nine-year-old was headed by a much younger TAB Eureka contender Perfect Class, who sat parked, but rallied back to win by a head in a brisk 1min53.9sec mile rate for 2240m.

Bulletproof Boy’s raced 185 times for 39 wins, 42 placings and banked almost $550,000.

X X X

He's big and raw, but Fighter Command has some sort of motor.

The Jess Tubbs-trained three-year-old made it four wins from as many starts this season and booked his spot in the $2.1mil TAB Eureka with an effortless win in last night’s $80,000 The Beautide in Hobart.

“He’s still learning what it’s all about, but he’s certainly got plenty of ability,” Sugars said.