Racing WA Harness

14/10/2026

13/10/2026

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12/10/2026

New Zealand-bred pacer Runkle Crunch gave a brilliant frontrunning performance when he was rated perfectly by his trainer Aiden de Campo and smashed the race record to win the $50,000 Four-Year-Old Championship at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

A well-supported $2 chance, Runkle Crunch ruined the perfect record of the $1.90 favourite Cyclone Jordy, who was aiming to notch his twelfth win from twelve starts in Western Australia.

Runkle Crunch rated 1.53.2 over the 2130m to eclipse the race record of 1.53.7 set by Theo Aviator when he beat Sangue Reale by a half-head in November 2019, and he now is sure to be a major player in the $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic next Friday week and the $200,000 Golden Nugget a fortnight later.

Contesting the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 11 is also a possibility for Runkle Crunch, with de Campo saying: “That could be on the cards. But we will have to get through the four-year-old races and then let him do the talking.”

Cyclone Jordy began from barrier five and he raced three wide early before moving to the breeze, while the polemarker Belly Up ($16) was enjoying an ideal passage behind the leader.

After a solid lead time of 36.3sec. and an opening quarter of 30.2sec. Runkle Crunch made life extremely difficult for his pursuers by dashing over the following 400m sections in 28.3sec., 27.1sec. and 27.9sec.

Cyclone Jordy wilted in the final stages to finish ninth, just over seven lengths behind the winner.

de Campo admitted it was quite a relief to win, saying: “I actually got nervous for the first time for a long time, leading into this race. I was a touch worried that Jordy might have had a bit too much speed for Runkle Crunch early.

“However, Runkle Crunch ran the gate really well and I could have gone a bit slower. And he was travelling so well I wanted to keep rolling in moderation to keep Jordy chasing me.

“I looked around half-way down the back straight (in the final lap) and saw that Junior (Gary Hall jnr) had the plugs out on Cyclone Jordy, while my bloke was super and was travelling strongly. I grabbed him up around the corner before letting him go at the top of the straight.”

Lincoln Lou ($51) caught the eye by running home fast from sixth at the bell to finish second to Runkle Crunch, with Belly Up in third place.

Runkle Crunch, a gelding by American sire Captain Crunch, was having his second start after a four-month absence, and he is sure to have derived considerable improvement from Friday night’s victory. He has won at five of his 14 WA starts and boasts a fine record of 25 starts for nine wins, four placings and $265,942.

“This win is not the B-all and end-all; there’s bigger fish to fry, coming up,” said de Campo.

Watch the replay here: racingwa.com.au/rwa/meetings/harness/2026-10-09/GLOUCESTER%20PARK/GP091026/race/5/GPM09102601

12/10/2026

Outstanding sit-sprinter Copy Cat Queen is firmly on target as a leading prospect for next month’s rich feature events for mares following her sparkling performance, second-up after a winter spell, at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

The WA-bred five-year-old was great value as a $7.90 chance from out wide at barrier seven in the 2130m Vale Alan Norman Free-For-All, and her trainer-reinsman Aiden de Campo is looking forward to her contesting the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on November 6 and the $150,000 Westral Mares Classic a fortnight later.

Copy Cat Queen was restrained at the start and settled down in ninth position while $7.50 chance Iseeubaby was setting the pace, with Beetastic ($4.20) behind the leader and Fakenit ($5.50) in the breeze.

Copy Cat Queen was eighth with 350m to travel and was switched five wide on the home turn before surging to the front in the final stages to win from the $2.80 favourite Delightful Peg, who flew home, out five wide, after being badly hampered for room until late.

The final three 400m sections were covered in 28.9sec., 28.1sec. and 28sec. and Copy Cat Queen rated a smart 1.54.6. de Campo was full of praise for the mare, saying: “She is an incredible animal and her sectionals over 800m are really good.

“She is getting more mature in her racing manners and is relaxing a lot better and sprinting strongly.”

Baldivis trainer-reinsman Cody Wallrodt was rewarded for his patient care of The Beaudster when he drove the six-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer to an all-the-way victory in the 2130m Barbagallo Pace.

This was the gelding’s fifth appearance after a 20-month absence, and he was a $13.40 chance who rated 1.58.7 in defeating Yawoma and Curadh to improve his record to 53 starts for nine wins, 27 placings and $108,180.

Gary Hall jnr maintained his superb form when he drove four winners on the ten-event program, including Franco Mecca, a $16.40 chance in the 2130m Book Your Christmas Function Pace, and Salsawithsierra ($8.50) in the 2130m Taste Of WA Pace.

Franco Mecca, trained by Matt Scott, began from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and he raced in last position in the field of eleven for much of the way and his task appeared hopeless when he was tenth with 400m to travel before Hall set him alight and he went five wide on the home turn and ran on solidly to get up and beat the $1.75 favourite Control The Room by a head.

This ended a losing sequence of 47 and was Franco Mecca’s first metro-class success in a 118-start career of 13 wins, 34 placings and $165,973.

Salsawithsierra, owned and trained by Nathan Turvey, finished gamely to win by a length from the $1.95 favourite Cordero, who had taken the lead 225m from home after racing without cover for much of the way.

Watch the replay here: https://ow.ly/ByzC50ZWGSL

12/10/2026

Speedy Sweet Pins gave further proof of his reputation as one of WA’s best pacers with a dazzling victory in the Beau Rivage Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he covered the 1730m trip in 1min. 59.6sec. and recorded a mile rate of 1.51.3.

He went within an ace of equalling the track record rate of 1.51.2 set by Pinny Tiger when he won the Nights Of Thunder from Tenzing Bromac on January 20, 2023. Interestingly, Pinny Tiger’s time for the 1730m was 1min. 59.6sec.

Sweet Pins, a $3.10 second favourite from out wide at barrier seven, was restrained at the start and raced at the rear while the $2.60 favourite Franco Encore was setting a fast pace with opening 400m sections of 27.8sec. and 28.2sec.

Sweet Pins was well back in ninth place at the bell before Hall sent him forward soon after with a sizzling three-wide burst which saw him charge to the front with 300m to travel and race away to win by three lengths from $13 chance Hugotastic, who raced at the rear before going seven wide on the home turn and surging down the outside of the track.

“The early burn brought Sweet Pins right into it,” said Hall. “He got so far clear that I eased him right down in the home straight. I think he can win any race he is in, and I don’t think any of the company he will meet will be too elite for him. Given the right trip, he has an electric turn of foot.

“He is an exciting horse, and I genuinely think he is a Cup horse.”

Five-year-old Sweet Pins, prepared by master trainer Gary Hall snr, will be set for the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup over 2536m on December 11 --- after veterinary surgeons predicted he would be most unlikely to race again after he sustained fractured legs when he won by seven lengths at his race debut at Pinjarra on July 1, 2024.

He fractured a hind leg and his nearside fore knee, and screws were inserted in his knee. He made a remarkable recovery and was able to resume racing after 12 months, scoring a four-length victory at Gloucester Park on July 11, 2025. He now has a splendid record of 33 starts for eleven wins, nine placings and $179,088 in prizemoney.

Earlier on Friday night the Hall-trained D Mac bounced back to his best form with a dashing victory in the 2130m WA Derby Prelude when he burst straight to the front from the No. 3 barrier.

D Mac, the $1.95 favourite, rated a smart 1.54.5 after sprinting over the final quarters in 27.3sec. and 27.2sec. and beating talented geldings Proposition Joe and El Mystro. This took his record to eleven starts for four wins, six placings and $137,108.

“He got off the gate really good, and his gate speed adds to the all-round package,” said Hall jnr. “The Derby is going to be very draw dependant, but our two (D Mac and Im Stealthy) have excellent gate speed which will hold them in good stead.”

Watch the replay here: racingwa.com.au/rwa/meetings/harness/2026-10-09/GLOUCESTER%20PARK/GP091026/race/4/GPM09102605

12/10/2026

Five-year-old mare Stellar Edition has made a remarkable return to racing after an injury-enforced 20-month absence, scoring easy wins at her first four appearances for trainer-reinsman Chris Voak.

The Rock N Roll World mare, bred and owned by Denise Trobe and Adrian Staltari, was the $2.30 favourite from an awkward draw at barrier six, who made the most of the $3 second fancy Til Heavens Rockyn galloping badly at the start from the No. 1 barrier, with Always Changin, Burghley Shard and Medina being badly checked and losing ground.

Voak then seized the initiative by dashing forward and sending Stellar Edition past the early leader Into The Future ($12). Stellar Edition was able to amble through the lead time in 37.9sec. and the mare was never seriously challenged on her way to winning by more than a length from Into The Future, rating 1.57.7.

Stellar Edition is the second foal out of Jet Laag mare Deluxe Edition, who earned $129,095 from eleven wins and 23 placings from 61 starts, with Voak driving her 33 times for six wins.

Delux Edition is the second foal out of the Safely Kept mare Hindu Sitara, who was raced by Ms Trobe and Staltari and earned $97,607 from nine wins and 12 placings from 42 starts, with the highlight of her career her second to Miss Holmes in the WA Oaks in May 2004.

Stellar Edition’s 39 starts have produced seven wins and three placings for earnings of $60,810, and if she continues to improve Voak will consider setting her for the feature events for mares later in the year.

Veteran trainer Kevin Keys and ace reinsman Shannon Suvaljko landed a double with well-supported runners Mikis Pride and Koojan, sons of American sire Always Miki and raced by Jim Giumelli’s Swandoo syndicate.

The Victorian-bred Mikis Pride, the $3.10 favourite in the 2130m Bouncy Castle Pace, raced in the one-out, two-back position before finishing strongly to win by a head from $26 chance Thelittle Master, who took full advantage of a dream inside run in the home straight.

Mikis Pride has earned $91,082 from six wins and eight placings from 28 starts. He is the first foal out of Bettors Delight mare All Inflight, an elder full-sister to Giumelli’s smart pacer Blitzembye, who was retired last year after a 94-start career with earnings of $291,235 from 17 wins (including nine in metro-class events at Gloucester Park) and 17 placings.

Koojan, the $1.70 favourite, set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and held on to win the 2130m Enjoy The Tastes WA Pace by a head from $11 chance Elite Fleet, who surged home from eighth at the bell.

Koojan, purchased for $85,000 at the 2023 APG Perth yearling sale, now has earned $79,864 from six wins and six placings from 24 starts.

Watch the replay here: racingwa.com.au/rwa/meetings/harness/2026-10-09/GLOUCESTER%20PARK/GP091026/race/9/GPM09102608

09/10/2026

Cyclone Jordy and Runkle Crunch are the clear favourites in tonight’s feature race at Gloucester Park!

08/10/2026

👉 Less than a week away! 🐎

🏆 Get ready for the King Coal Cup 🏆