Patience Pays Off For the Harpers
Stormy Nights taking out race 3 for Donald Harper. Photo Credit- Photography by Jodie Hallows
It was a special win at Pinjarra on Monday for Donald and Tara Harper, with Stormy Nights back in the winners’ circle at just her second start back after just over two years away from the racetrack. The lightly raced five-year-old has been plagued with injury in her career but is yet to finish further back than fourth in her four race starts for her patient and persistent connections.
With the discovery of a hole in the ligament of her hock in 2019, the only choice that the Harpers had was to put their mare out on spell, as she had already had her fair share of issues before they got her, suffering from a curved hock as a youngster.
“The vets pretty much said they didn’t know what do as there is only a couple of cases in the world with this type of injury, so we thought we would put her out for a long spell and take our time getting her back up if she makes it, it’s a bonus, but if not, she will become our broodmare.” Owner Tara Harper said.
Michael Young was once again all smiles with his trotters Horse Of Course NZ saluting in the first, getting his first win on the scoreboard at start four since moving to WA just a few months ago. Starting off the 20m handicap in the 2631m standing start, the six-year-old gelding stepped almost without fault and soon worked his way to the front, clinging on for the win by a head for driver Shannon Suvaljko in a mile rate of 2:04:9.
It was the two-year-old’s’ up next with Arma Xfactor scoring his first win for Colin Brown and Dylan Egerton-Green. After settling four back on the pegs in the single file small field, Egerton-Green pulled off with a lap to go to sit outside the leader, going on to win race two by 5.8m in 2:00:0 over the 2100m.
Shannon Suvaljko steered home a winning double, with Rocknroll Elliot getting the win in race four after knocking on the door his past two attempts. After being crossed early, Suvaljko had the three-year-old working early to regain the lead and that’s where he stayed, going on to win in 1:56:7 over the 2185m trip.
Returning to the races after a few months let up, the connections of Stamford NZ were celebrating after the smart three-year-old led all the way for victory in race five on the card. Recording his fourth career win in just six starts, the Ray Williams trained juvenile won narrowly by a neck in a mile rate of 1:58:1, giving Aldo Cortopassi the first leg of his winning double.
The short-priced winners continued with Wainui Creek NZ making it two in a row and giving favourite punters plenty to celebrate. Trained by Greg and Skye Bond and driven by Ryan Warwick, the five-year-old mare came off a last start win in the Group 2 Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park in late March, to take out the seventh at Pinjarra in 1:57:0 by 3m over the 2185m journey.
Cortopassi brought up his second win, saluting in the last on board Hit The Sky NZ, trained by his partner Amber Sparks. Starting off the 10m line in the 2631m standing start, Cortopassi had the gelding settle three back on the pegs and on the turn, pulled him out to win comfortably by 11.1m in 2:01:0 over the staying trip.
Ashleigh Paikos