Boom colt Ideal Beach is on target for further rich feature events after scoring a brilliant victory in the $100,000 HOIST Torque Australia Pearl Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Prepared by ace Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice and driven by champion reinsman Gary Hall jnr, Ideal Beach is being set for the $215,000 Westbred Classic on September 5 and the $150,000 Golden Slipper three weeks later.
Ideal Beach’s clashes with another up-and-coming star juvenile El Mystro in these events are sure to provide much exciting action.
El Mystro, trained and driven by Robbie Williams, took advantage of a better barrier when he led and won a Pearl qualifying heat in which he beat Ideal Beach by two lengths, rating 1.57.2 over the 2130m trip.
Ideal Beach was favourably drawn at barrier No. 2 in Friday night’s classic, with El Mystro drawn on the inside of the back line. Ideal Beach dominated betting and was the $1.20 favourite, with El Mystro the $4.60 second fancy.
Ideal Beach was untroubled to set the pace and rated 1.57.3 in beating El Mystro by just over two lengths, with Hall saying: “The second horse (El Mystro) went massive, and he’s a very good horse.
“As you saw in the qualifying heat, if you reverse the draws (for tonight’s race), you will probably reverse the result. Hopefully, these two can stay fit and healthy for years to come because they will have many great battles.”
Williams wasted no time in getting El Mystro off the pegs and into the open, with the gelding settling down in sixth position in the one-wide line before going forward, out three wide, after 650m to move to the breeze. The final 800m was covered in 56sec. and Ideal Beach was able to keep El Mystro safely at bay.
“Justin has a great knack with the babies,” said Hall. “You know that when he brings one to the races, he is going to have good manners, and that’s half the battle. Ideal Beach is a pretty special horse who has a big motor and has a bright future.”
The victory gave hall his sixth success in the Pearl, and it was Prentice’s third success in the big race, following the wins of Manning in 2019 and Never Ending in 2022.
Prentice outlaid $130,000 to purchase Ideal Beach at the 2024 Perth APG yearling sale, and the colt, a son of outstanding sire American Ideal, now has raced four times for three wins, one second and $136,901 in prizemoney for a vast syndicate of fifty members.
Prentice had bought Always B Miki colt Mikis Beach for $50,000 at the 2021 Perth APG sale. “Ideal Beach is a much nicer looking horse than Mikis Beach, and I had to pay a bit more than I expected for him,” said Prentice.
Mikis Beach and Ideal Beach are out of unraced New Zealand-bred mare Coopers Beach, whose elder half-brother Devil Dodger (by Mach Three) amassed $392,285 from 13 wins and 17 placings from 45 starts. Devil Dodger finished third behind Russley Rascal in the Northern Derby at Alexandra Park in March 2010 and was a head second to Sir Lincoln in the $200,000 Emerald for three-year-olds at Cambridge in June 2010.
Ideal Beach was in a playful mood when he arrived at Gloucester Park by float on Friday night, with Prentice saying: “He was a bit naughty, and he led me here (into the birdcage). I didn’t lead him. And he led me around the parade ring for a few laps.
“He was a bit above himself, and when Rolling Fire and Mighty Ronaldo left the stalls to go out and race, Katie (Lally) took him for a walk, and that helped to relax him.” Said Prentice.
By Ken Casellas