100 Winners for Suvaljko Pacing
Serpentine horseman Callan Suvaljko, thrilled at creating history at Northam on Tuesday night when he trained his 100th winner of the season, has bright prospects of adding to his tally when he drives seven pacers from his stables at the Gloucester Park meeting on Friday night.
The 33-year-old Suvaljko notched his century when he drove odds-on favourite Major Money Maker to an easy win over Stumpygullyroad at Northam on Tuesday night.
It was the first time that he had prepared 100 winners in a season and he is also the only person to have trained and driven a century of winners in WA in the 2007-08 season. It is the first time for several years that this outstanding feat has been achieved in this State.
No horse that Suvaljko drives on Friday night can be disregarded. But his better prospects appear to be Heeza Hudson, Explosive Atom and Abercrombiedreamer.
Suvaljko also has sound claims with both his runners, Here Comes Thomas (a winner of three races this winter) and Top Gun Whitby in the opening event, The West Australian Stakes for two-year-olds.
Heeza Hudson, a winner of seven races this season, makes strong appeal in the Be Active and Unplug and Play Stakes and Explosive Atom and Abercrombiedreamer each has excellent each-way prospects from barrier one in their respective events.
Explosive Atom looks set to lead or sit behind the pacemaker and he should fight out the finish of the Be Active Find Thirty Stakes over 2130m. He was an unlucky seventh behind Korlim Garry last Friday night when he was shuffled back to tenth at the bell and was hampered for room when finishing full of running.
Abercrombiedreamer is one of the two frontrunners in the Be Active Walk Instead Handicap over 2503m and Suvaljko is likely to dictate the terms and must be considered, even though last-start winners Morganator, Korlim Garry and Urjokin are expected to be more strongly fancied by punters.
Suvaljko, who brought up his driving century when he was successful with Rockfist at Northam last Saturday week, now has driven 107 winners this season. With 51 winners he is in second place behind Gary Hall sen. (108) on the metropolitan trainers’ list.