Heat wins at last Sunday’s Tara Raceway meeting by first starters Hannah Rocks and Gallon Of Yap now have leading Mount Gambier trainer Tracie Price well placed to win his third Peter Whitehead Memorial (400 metres).
First run in 2019, the inaugural memorial was won by the Price-trained Elle Limes who defeated kennelmate Tandiki and the Peter Crawley trained Miss Classique in a time of 23.18 seconds.
This had been a fitting win given that at one stage “Spider” Whitehead had stood in for Price as his acting trainer.
The following year Price won with Sally Limes in 23.84 seconds. And last year it was Smiling Stan who was successful in 23.62 seconds for Portland owner-trainer Nifty Lenehan.
Bred by Ron Murch of Pennington, Hannah Rocks is a February 2021 whelping from a third mating of Fernando Bale and Rhonda Rocks.
Her first litter included Sennachie and Alfieri and her second Kingsville Flyer, Frankie Boy and Donny Rocks who was one of Price’s six winners at last Sunday’s meeting.
Hannah Rocks led all the way from box six to win the first heat from Drop Fifty by 1¼ lengths in 23.52 seconds. Also through to the final is another Price first starter in Jayville Zoe.
Drop Fifty, a son of My Bro Fabio and Timtams For Bams, ran a handy sort of race for Terang owner-trainer Paul Herry who won the 2018 Sims Memorial at Tara Raceway with Got Some Cheek.
Gallon Of Yap, from the red box, led all the way in heat two when defeating Pattern by 2¾ lengths in 23.28 seconds. A further half-length back in third spot was the winner’s litter brother Compton Robbie.
By Glen Gallon, a winner of 37 races and more than $600,000 in stake money when racing between 2011 and 2013, Gallon Of Yap is out of Lots Of Yap who won the 2015 Mount Gambier Cup (512 m) for Ben Boers.
When it came to breeding, Boers used Nitro Burst as his sire of choice for Lots Of Yap’s first litter and achieved some handy results.
But three years later, when looking to breed a second litter, Boers opted to use Glen Gallon – that 2015 Mount Gambier Cup win having also carried a straw to the Queensland sire.
Later, Price reared a couple of the resultant litter on a one for one basis for Boers and agreed to train his pick which turned out to be Gallon Of Yap.
Actually, 7½ years on and Price is still taking credit for Lots Of Yap’s cup win.
“I remember that time well,” he said. “Who’s Doing What had won her heat by 6¼ lengths in a best of day 29.75 seconds. And after drawing box one in the final I was thinking if ever I’m going to win a Mount Gambier Cup then this is the year.
“The next thing I know is I’m ringing Ben to give him the heads-up that Who’s Doing What is in season and Lots Of Yap will be jumping from box one in the final. The rest is now history and I’m still trying to win the Mount Gambier Cup.”
Another Price-trained winner last Sunday was Blue Sky Boy, a February 2021 son of Bernardo x Black Chevelle and raced by Melbourne-based Robert Pasquali who made the trip over with his family, Cris and Minjae.
As far as Blue Sky Boy was concerned they picked a good day to be at Tara Raceway.
Away well from box one, he was never headed when winning by 9½ lengths over Circus Craze in the Carlin & Gazzard MG Stake (400 m). The time told the story – 22.82 seconds – and so close to being best of the day that it didn’t matter.
Pasquali described the blue dog as a cheap purchase that probably would struggle to make it in Victoria.
“Mount Gambier trainer Tracie Price had been recommended to me and I have to say after talking with him on the phone I had been suitably impressed,” he said.
“And after then meeting up with him in person at the track I was even more impressed. He certainly handles himself very well.”
Pasquali said it had been well worth the trip over, if only to take in Tara Raceway and its surrounds.
“Look, I really love this place. The people are great and the track boasts terrific amenities. And it’s so picturesque.”
Soon after Blue Sky Boy’s win, Robert Pasquali, Cris and Minjae hit the highway back to Melbourne. It’s a fair bet, though, they’ll return some time soon.
