Give Us A Wave Takes The Kellerberrin Cup
Give Us A Way and Deni Roberts claiming a comfortable win in the 2022 Central Wheatbelt Cup. Photo Credit- Photography by Jodie Hallows
Give Us A Wave took out the $10,250 Shire Of Kellerberrin Central Wheatbelt Cup on Sunday, with the $1.08 never in doubt for Greg and Skye Bond and stable driver, Deni Roberts. The last start Kellerberrin winner lined up from barrier three in the cup and after bouncing to the front with ease soon after release point, went on for a comfortable win by 12.4m in a mile rate of 1:59:0 over the 2130m.
With 32 starts under his belt, the four-year-old brought up his eighth career victory on Sunday and took his total stake earnings to just over $125,000 for his connections; Team Bond, The Running Camel Pty Ltd and A Foster. Bred locally by Kevin and Annette Charles, Give Us A Wave was purchased at the 2019 APG Yearling Sales, with lot 591 going to Team Bond for $60,000. With eight starts this season, he’s had four wins and three top four placings, with the stable now at 75 winners for the season just over four months in.
Tevarich started as the rank outsider in the cup but that didn’t mean a thing, with the Maryann White trained six-year-old taking second prize in the feature with Kyle Harper in the cart.
Team Bond sent three horses up with Deni Roberts and walked away with a double on the card, with Mufasa taking out the standing start race. Starting off the 30m handicap in race seven, the $1.70 favourite only took a few strides to get back into his gear, and after settling one out and three back throughout over the 2500m trip, Roberts made her move three wide coming into the home straight with just over a lap to go, going on to win by 2.7m in a winning mile rate of 2:03:4. The win not only gave Team Bond a stable double, but driver Deni Roberts a driving double on the card.
First up on the day was the 3YO Westbred maiden race with Ready To Attack claiming his first win for trainer and driver Chris Playle. Leading all the way over the 2130m from barrier two, the gelding by locally stood stallion Advance Attack NZ managed to hold on for a narrow victory in a close finish over Bardan Kid in 2:02:0.
The Mercenary made it two in a row at the Central Wheatbelt when the three-year-old worked his way to the lead in race two for Bevan Stokes and Kyle Harper. The $1.60 favourite by Fly Like An Eagle went on to win by 7.6m in 2:00:1 over the 1730m sprint trip, winning over Rollyourown who was having his first start for Rob Bartlett.
With over four months between drinks, Fortunate Adda broke a 12-start losing sequence on Sunday when the seven-year-old came from behind in a thrilling finish to win by a small margin for driver Colin Brown in 2:02:4. Steers stable was represented by two runners in race four over the 2130m journey, with her other runner Marcotti saluting the judge with a fourth placing with just a neck between first and fourth.
Ryan Bell and Kyle Symington teamed up in race four with the $1.60 favourite Songkran doing plenty of work to get the win for her connections in 2:01:8. Starting from barrier six over the 2130m, the four-year-old mare by Renaissance Man went into Sunday’s race with a last start placing at Bunbury, making her return to racing this season with two wins and a placing from just the three starts this time in.
The first four races on the card flew the flag for Double Westbred progeny, with all four winners by locally stood stallions.
Eton Rock continued his good form, going into race five as the short-priced favourite for Nathan Turvey and Emily Suvaljko. Coming off a last start win just eight days prior at Narrogin, the three-year-old led all the way over the 2130m trip, taking the win by 3.5m in 2:01:0.
It was a day for doubles, with Chris Playle getting a driving double, with the second instalment of his wins coming up in race eight on board the Garry Elliot trained Observation. The four-year-old broke through for his maiden win at just his ninth start, but after failing to finish any closer than fourth at his eight starts prior, he started at $9 odds, but proved too good for his rivals, winning comfortably by 12.1m in 2:03:1.
Shehadi brought up her second career win, with the four-year-old sitting outside the leader for the majority to win by 1.6m for trainer Luke Edwards and reinsman Hayden Hancock in 2:02:8 over the 2130m.
Pacing will return to the Central Wheatbelt in a fortnights time on Sunday the 22nd of May, with the S M Elliot Memorial the feature on the card.
Ashleigh Paikos