A home track victory with his first runner of the new season has Tracey Bartley hopeful he can better last season’s tally of 22 winners.
So Bizarre started $1.30 favourite in the NORTHROP CONSULTING ENGINEERS 4YO&UP MAIDEN over 1100m and while tested in the straight, scored a good debut win at his fifth start.
Bartley said it was a great way to start the new season and hopefully a sign of things to come.
“We had 22 winners the first season I moved over from Mudgee in 2011/2102 but I came with a team of horses.
“We’d been a bit quieter for a few years but last season we got the 22 wins again.
“I’ve got some really nice horses in the stable at present, so hopefully we can do better than that this season.
“It’s a good way to start.”
Bartley is confident So Bizarre, who finished third at Rosehill last preparation, will go on to win more races.
“He’s a lovely big horse and that was just a barrier trial for him today,” he said.
“I knew he needed the run and he showed that on the line but it was a very promising win.
“We will step him up in distance now. I’ll find him another provincial race and then take him to town.
“We’ve given him 10 months between runs because he just needed to strengthen up.
“He’s a lovely horse and I think he will turn out to be a good stayer.”
Winning jockey Jason Collett described it as a “good win” but said it was obvious the horse would be better over more ground.
So Bizarre, a $110,000 Dream Ahead gelding, beat Find Behind ($6) from the Seelin stable by half a length, with Pretty Song ($15), trained by Jason Attard, a short half head behind in third.
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Tye Angland made a big impression on only his third day back in the saddle after a break, taking out four of the eight races at the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Charity Race Day.
Angland returned to riding at Warwick Farm on Wednesday after a three week holiday and wasted no time making an impression, with the four Wyong wins.
He was beaten narrowly in two races at Hawkesbury on Thursday but turned the tables in a big way the following day.
Angland rode a personal best 140 winners last season and is striving to better that in 2018/2019.
“I can’t remember the last time I rode four, so it’s been good,” he said.
“I’m just back from holidays so it’s a great way to get back into it.”
Angland brought up his fourth winner on the David Pfeiffer trained Love Shack Baby ($1.85) who was a dominant two and a half length winner in the 1600m BONYTHON TOWER CLASS 2 HANDICAP.
The four-year-old All Too Hard gelding, was second up after resuming with a fourth at Wyong on July 14.
Sue O’Keefe, representing the Pfeiffer stable, said Angland had ridden him a “treat.”
“He needs to lead especially around this track. That was the plan and Tye rode him exactly who Tye told him,” she said.
“He is consistent and will hopefully keep going the way he’s going.
“I’d say David will probably step up and go to a mid-week at Warwick Farm or Canterbury. He was very dominant today.”
Velocano ($6.50) from the Marc Connors stable was second, with the Waller trained McMahon ($4), third.
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Angland brought up his treble on the John Thomspon trained Golden Hits ($4.20), his second win for the stable.
It was another cool ride by Angland on the four-year-old who came from behind in a slowly run race, to score an impressive three length win in the 1350m YOUR LOCAL CLUB BENCHMARK 65.
The Your Song gelding was disappointing at his last start at Gosford over 1100m, coming off a won at Hawkesbury on July 5.
“I think he appreciated the extra ground today,” stable representative Danielle Podlewski said.
“He was flat at Gosford but he certainly made up for that.
“It was a very strong win today and another great ride by Tye. He had a bit of pressure on him midway down the straight but he responded well.”
She said it was likely Thompson would step up Golden Hits to a metropolitan race.
Shadow Flight ($9) trained by Jamie Thomsen was second, with the $2.80 favourite Spring Creek Star, third.
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A quick back-up was the key to Jeff Englebrecht’s veteran galloper Shalama winning the WIDELINE WINDOWS AND DOORS BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP.
The nine-year-old brought up his fourth career win, coming off a fifth at Newcastle three days earlier.
Englebrecht said it was always the plan to back-up Shalama, after the Cessnock meeting was transferred to Newcastle.
“It was to be 1100m at Cessnock and that is his pet distance,” he said. “They ran it over 1200m at Newcastle and it just found him out a bit.
“I looked at the noms for here and there were only four so I thought I’d accept and see what happens.
“Then I thought I’d use Alena (Skerritt) and take more weight off his back.”
Englebrecht praised the ride of the apprentice, who kept a cool head with a rails hugging ride.
“I haven’t used Alena a lot but once she started travelling out west she started riding heaps of winners.
“She got her confidence up and showed that toady.
“This bloke probably should of won more races but he’s just a bugger to ride.
“I told Alena not to let him go because he’d charge and she did a really good job on him.”
Nosey ($5) from the Les Tilley stale was a close second, with Radiologist ($7.50), trained by Cheryl Lantry, third.
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A dominant ride by Tye Angland secured a narrow victory for the well-bred Republic ($2.50fav), taking out the 1350m HALEKULANI 3YO MAIDEN by a half neck and kicking off a winning day for Angland.
The Snitzel gelding had to survive a protest from runner-up Nuclear Burst ($2.60) from the Waugh stable.
Republic was coming off a 10th at Warwick Farm last start but trainer John Thompson believes the Wyong win will give him confidence for another shot at a Metropolitan race.
“John will have a look for a suitable race back in town now,” stable representative Danielle Podlewski said.
“He will take a lot out of this win. He ran really well through the line, so we would expect him to step up over more ground.
“Blinkers on today really switched him on and Tye rode him perfectly.
“It’s good to see this horse really run up to his potential today.”
Angland said things had gone well in the early stages of the race and while he had felt the pinch, second up over the 1350m, he got the job done.
“It was a good win and hopefully he takes a lot of confidence out of it.
“He’s a nice big, strong horse and if he continues to improve, which he should now since he’s been gelded, he should just keep winning.”
Regal Capital ($13) from the Robert Pearse stable, finished a close third.
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A strong win by Sun And Heir in the BISHOP COLLINS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS 4YO & UP MAIDEN put paid to trainer Noel Mayfield-Smith’s fears the horse would retire a maiden.
Having his 19th career start, the five-year-old by Haradasun, looked in trouble at the turn but responded to vigorous riding by jockey Tye Angland, to record a convincing two and a quarter length win over the 1350m.
Angland had settled the gelding in a perfect position just off the speed, before getting a split at the top of the straight and storming home for a convincing victory.
Mayfield-Smith attributed the addition of blinkers and a strong ride by Angland, as the contributing factors.
“Having the blinkers on today helped, made him focus a bit, tuned him up and got him going,” he said.
“Chad rode him well. He looked like he was in a bit of trouble near the turn but he was pretty aggressive and got him going again.
“It was great to see him go on with it today.”
Sun And Heir, who started $3.50 second favourite, was coming off a second at Wyong last start.
He beat the Robert Pearse trained, One Of The Kind ($12), with the $1.95 race favourite Helsonic, from the Freedman stable, a long neck behind in third.
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Waiheke showed his class and pointers towards a bright future with an impressive win in the 1600m PATTY KENNEDY’S BOYS METRO & PROV MAIDEN.
The $120,000 yearling, by Ocean Park, has been a work in progress for trainer Chris Waller, who has taken his time bringing the four-year-old gelding to the races.
Having only his second race start, and coming off a second at Wyong on July 14, punters took a shine to Waiheke, who started $1.85 short priced favourite.
Jockey Tye Angland brought up a race to race double with another good ride, bringing praise from the Waller stable.
He settled the favourite one out and one back for much of the race, quickening up in the straight before drawing away for a three length win.
Stable foreman Glen Barnes described it as a “very impressive” win.
“Tye gave him every chance today. It was a beautiful ride,” Barnes said.
“You’d think this horse would go on from this and win some better races.
“Chris has taken his time with him this far, so I imagine he will take along through the grades.”
The Clarry Connors trained Stage Pass ($3.80) was second, with Rotoiti ($26) trained by Pat O’Grady, a length and three quarters behind in third.
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An excited group of owners cheered apprentice Louise Day when she returned to scale on Yeoman ($19) after taking out the WESTPAC RESCUE HELICOPTER SERVICE CLASS 1 over 1200m.
The Fastnet Rock gelding was having his second start for Newcastle trainer Jeremy Smith, having previously been trained by Paul Perry.
He finished fifth at Muswellbrook on July 6 over 1000m and appreciated the step up in distance at Wyong.
The five-year-old was fractious in the barriers and slow away but despite Day being caught wide in the middle stages of the race, he stormed home to score a narrow win on the line.
“It is good for us and good for the owners,” an excited Smith said after the win.
“Some of them are first time owners so they are pretty excited.
“I got this horse off Paul Perry in great condition and I’ve just changed a couple of things.
“Louise rides him all his works and knows him well, so it’s a great result for her as well.”
The win was the second for Yeoman from twelve starts and Smith said he would take him slowly through his grades.
The Damien Lane trained Scatter Blast ($13) was second, with Patron Black ($4.60), from the Portelli stable, a short half head behind in third.
