Any thoughts or hopes Jocelyn Young had of winning the WA Oaks Prelude at Gloucester Park on Friday night went out the window when Akoya Pearl, a filly she was driving for the first time, took charge as the ten runners were circling before coming into line behind the mobile barrier.
To Young’s dismay Akoya Pearl swivelled around and dashed off in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the starter did not send the rest of the field on its way, and he waited to see what was happening with Akoya Pearl.
“We went back about 400 metres before the clerk of course saw what was going on and she came back to rescue me and then led us right up to the mobile gate,” said Young.
“Akoya Pearl was just silly when she took hold of me. After that, she was on her best behaviour, and I just floated along from out wide at barrier eight. I waited until they settled, and I decided to go forward because they weren’t going overly hard. She then travelled nicely in the breeze.”
The polemarker Kinky ($3.30) enjoyed an easy time in front with a slow lead time of 38.3sec. and modest opening quarters of 31.3sec. and 30sec., with the $3 favourite Hunger Strike enjoying the one-out, one-back trail after racing three wide in the early stages.
Akoya Pearl battled on doggedly and went on to win by a half-neck from Kinky, with Our Rich Cargo ($12) running on from eighth at the bell to finish third. Hunger Strike failed to flatter and finished sixth.
Akoya Pearl and Hunger Strike are trained by Nathan Turvey, who is looking forward to Akoya Pearl running in the $150,000 WA Oaks next Friday night. “She goes really good, but we haven’t been able to get continued racing from her because of a few little niggles, but nothing serious,” he said.
Young is looking forward to driving Akoya Pearl in the Oaks, a race she won with $26 outsider Has No Fear in May 2019 when that filly began from the outside of the front line and finished strongly from the rear to beat Delightfulreaction.
“Has No Fear produced a filly foal today, and hopefully it’s a good omen for next Friday’s Oaks,” said Young.
Akoya Pearl is by American sire Lather Up, who earned $1,917,935 from 23 wins and seven placings from 37 starts. She is the first foal out of Mach Three mare Forever Pearl, who raced 21 times for seven wins, six placings and $53,224.
Forever Pearl was part-owned and trained by Turvey when she had six starts as a four-year-old in WA in April and May 2019 for four wins and a third placing. She won at her only wo appearances at Gloucester Park after wins at Narrogin and Pinjarra.
Turvey races Akoya Pearl in partnership with Ron Scaini, Luke O’Brien, Tracey Sermon, Paul Dobson, Tim Cowcher and Phil Eaton. The filly now has earned $30,094 from four wins and a third placing from eight starts.
By Ken Casellas