Brilliant colt Ideal Beach continued his march towards the $150,000 Golden Slipper with an authoritative victory in the $215,000 Allwood Stud Farm Westbred Classic for two-year-old colts and gelding at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Produced in great shape by trainer Justin Prentice and handled skilfully by Gary Hall jnr, Ideal Beach, the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, enjoyed a change of gear as he gave a splendid frontrunning exhibition to win by 4m from the $11 second fancy Bettor Move Matty.
“Ideal Beach was well behaved and a lot more settled tonight,” said Prentice. “He was a bit revvy at his previous start when I put the Murphy on him for the first time at the races, and I took it off tonight.”
Ideal Beach had an easy time early, with a casual lead time of 37.5sec. followed by a slow first 400m in 31.8sec. before he increased the tempo with quarters of 29.6sec., 28.2sec. and 27.9sec.
He rated a smart 1.57 as he improved his record to six starts for five wins, one second and $248,481 for a very big contingent of owners. He is by champion American sire American Ideal and is the fourth foal out of unraced New Zealand mare Coopers Beach. He was purchased for $130,000 at the 2024 Perth APG yearling sale.
Ideal Beach won the start and was able to hold Bettor Move Matty (barrier four) at bay before Robbie Williams dashed $12 chance El Mystro forward and into the breeze, enabling Bettor Move Matty to enjoy an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before Aiden De Campo sent him forward 500m from home to challenge the pacemaker.
But Ideal Beach carried too many guns and won comfortably. “It surprised me that Bettor Move Matty kept coming,” said Hall. “So, Ideal Beach had to show something. This wasn’t like some of his other wins when he had plenty up his sleeve.
“I had to really ask him, and as soon as I clicked him up and just touched him with the stick, he showed he was good enough.”
Interestingly, Hall drove New Zealand-bred gelding Im Stealthy to a most impressive four-length win at his race debut, rating 1.56.7 over 2185m after a final 800m of 56.4sec. at Pinjarra four days earlier. Im Stealthy, trained by Gary Hall snr, should develop into a leading Golden Slipper candidate.
By Ken Casellas