FROM last Friday night’s pacing in the city to a 10-event program in Harvey last Tuesday night, there was more than the usual run of spills and thrills in the pacing world last week.
Racing Wagering WA stewards continued their hard line on whip use, which added to an ever growing list of drivers cooling their heels and hands on the sidelines as they dug deep to pay the substantial fines.
Pinjarra trainer/driver Kim Young was one of the pacing personnel stepping out at Gloucester Park last Friday night to run the full gamut of emotions.
He was successful with Ruby Dazzler in the $50,000 Bundaberg Red Empress Stakes, which was the talented four-year-old's third feature race win after having won the Diamond Classic as a two-year-old before setting the track alight in the WA oaks as a three-year-old.
The winners grin was short lived though when stewards dealt him a driving suspension of 19 days for shifting up the track in the run for home.
Drivers to feel the full force of the stewards in regards to their whip use was Kade Howson, Ryan Bell and Murray Lindau will no doubt be counting not just the lost drives fees but also the fines that are adding to royalties as the fraternity try valiantly to wriggle the reins using a wrist to elbow action rather than a full extension of the arm above the shoulder.
Colin Brown, the leading driver at Pinjarra Paceway at this stage of the season, will be hoping to make a fast recovery from his arm injuries received in a fall at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
Shane Cramp and Brown were both tipped from their carts in the second of the 10-event card.
Brown took home a great deal of the track surface in an injury that had him in Fremantle hospital over the weekend and at Harvey last Tuesday night he had a very swollen right arm and was unable to drive.
The news was better for Forrestdale trainer Greg Bond though.
The Force took all honours in the $200,000 Sky Channel WA Derby, driven by Chris Lewis.
Lewis then handed the reins to a sore and sorry Brown, who was able to work through his own pain barrier, carrying his fall injuries, to record a stunning back to back doubles for Pablito and the very impressive Touch Me Toes, both pacers successful at Pinjarra Paceway the Sunday before at the Be Active Health Way Heart Foundation meeting.
Touch Me Toes, providing connections with his own heart stopping moment when he galloped, lost 50metres at the start, caught the field and flew home to give the very popular Bond camp, regulars at Pinjarra Paceway meetings, their best night in terms of success at the track.
At Bunbury on Saturday night trainer Alan Bell and driver Morgan Woodley combined to give Rod Oliver, the travelling gear man always trackside at Gloucester Park and Pinjarra Paceway, ,a night to remember with the debut performance of two-year-oldNaga King.
The son of Lifesign in his first race start not just rattled home in a sensational time but also at huge odds which saw him return in excess of $15 for the dollar unit.
All concerned hope the youngster will take his place in the upcoming sales races with the future looking promising on his first outings effort.
Bell has Can Return Fire set to come out all bullets blazing in the Alcoa Pinjarra Cup later in the season, this smart conveyance setting a sizzling time at Byford trials at his first run back after a spell.
Batavia Touchngo, trained by Kevin Keys for Mandurah identity Ted O'Connor, added to her impressive early form after she was successful in the Collie Tennis Club Two-Year-Old Fillies Stakes.
A daughter of Rich And Spoilt, Batavia Touchngo has now won three times and been placed once from just five lifetime starts.
If patience is a virtue then a first up driving success and a major race comeback at Harvey last Tuesday night proved that old saying has merit.
Twenty-year-old Courtney Birch has always loved horses but a spill in trials behind a Kevin Keys youngster at Wanneroo, which left her with extensive shoulder injuries and a dent to her pride, could have put played on her aspirations of a driving career.
Time spent recovering both her body and spirit saw her offered a lifeline by Ken Kirkes who gave the affable young woman a second chance to prove her worth, telling her that if the work ethic was right, then he would in time provide the pacer that would reward her with her first win.
Eight-year-old gelding Damon Ross who broke both of his back pasterns, was also given a lifeline by the larger than life trainer, Kirkes providing the care the son of New York Motoring needed to give pacing another go.
At Harvey last Tuesday night with the running of the Banksia Downs Agistment Stakes C5, the race looked just a formality for Micheal Finnigan, Ross and Birch, who left their fears behind them and set sail for home in the shadows of the post to give both horse and driver a well deserved moment of glory which will long be remembered.
Write their names down in the black book as the gritty comeback to the track for both driver and pacer is sure to provide the impetus for more success in the future.
Pinjarra Paceway, short on stake money once again this Monday due to the public holiday for Anzac Day and the lack of Sky coverage, will still hold eight races on the day.
There will be plenty on offer for children as they wind up their school holidays as well as some keen racing.
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