Change of tactics pays off for Without Reg in Mandurah Cup

PERTH – An enterprising ride by jockey Holly Watson paid dividends aboard Without Reg in the A$100,000 (S$86,000) Listed Mandurah Cup (1,400m) at Pinjarra in Western Australia on Jan 3.

Taking Without Reg into unfamiliar territory was the winning move, and sets the in-form galloper up for a potential shot at the Listed Bunbury Stakes (1,400m) at Bunbury on March 7.

The War Chant seven-year-old is proving a worthy “replacement” for trainer Rhys Radford’s recently retired stable stalwart Comfort Me.

The bay gelding had led and emerged successful just once, and that was back in a maiden race over 1,200m in November 2021.

Moreover, he had set the pace only once in his last 49 starts, so it came as a surprise when Without Reg brilliantly asserted to establish himself as the pacemaker.

Rolling at a suitable tempo upfront, Watson quickened from the 600m and put plenty in deep water, including River Rubicon (Shaun McGruddy), who faded and forced an early take-off from Angel Undercover (Chris Parnham).

Despite the Neville Parnham-trained 10-year-old Bruce Almighty (Laqdar Ramoly) looming upsides on the corner, Without Reg ($14) found extra and again pulled a length clear.

He held that margin to the post from the veteran galloper, while Angel Undercover finished third a further long neck astern.

Watson wasted no time in accumulating a back-to-back double, scoring with Cantrix ($19) in the Class 1 handicap (1,300m).

The rising young hoop injected the Patronize four-year-old mare into the one-one spot and peeled her three wide just before the turn.

Scrubbed up, the Jamie Morgan-trained chestnut galloper responded grandly to the call and drove a half-length clear of Come On Emma (Joseph Azzopardi) to salute.

After a strong second behind the exciting He’s A Machino on debut, punters rallied to Wolf Whistle Zel’s cause in the Tuckey’s Hardware Plate (1,200m), supporting the Jim Taylor-trained youngster down to $7 at the off.

But despite occupying a lovely trail in the one-out, one-back position, the son of Rommel ran his race in snatches and was pumped along unpromisingly approaching the bend.

Finally, inside the last furlong, the gelding got organised under Jason Brown and drove after Burning Bridges (Parnham), with Super Fatale (Brandon Louis) matching his run.

But to favourite backers’ delight, Wolf Whistle Zel got his nose down on the line to grasp victory by a nose from Super Fatale.

She’s Hot ($17) was well-supported in the Karrakatta Plate markets early in 2025, but failed to deliver in her maiden appearance and second start in the Gimcrack.

After two well-spaced trials, the Hellbent filly sat in third against the fence in the 1,200m Maiden race while Call Me Frosty (Parnham) and Satin Bow (Natika Riordan) ripped along in front and opened up almost seven lengths over She’s Hot.

Still two lengths down inside the 100m mark, top jockey William Pike galvanised the bay up the inside while Bosun (Patrick Carbery) flashed down the centre after the pacemakers.

In a head-bobbing contest that could have easily gone either way, yet another photo went the way of Pike as the Daniel Morton-trained She’s Hot saluted by a nose.

The Robert and Kate Witten-trained Bulletin Beau ($15) has shown tremendous promise early, but since winning a trial midway through 2024, the five-year-old had only raced three times intermittently for a placing each time.

At his first-ever second-up run, Shaun O’Donnell slotted the Press Statement gelding in fifth.

Sliding on the outside at the top of the stretch, Bulletin Beau raced to Nature’s Reckoning (Victoria Corver) at the 100m, who offered a resolute kick.

In another driving finish, a half head separated the two, but the verdict fell in favour of Bulletin Beau.

You Can Call Me Al and Wild Things ($19) disputed market supremacy in the fifth contest and not much divided them late.

From a more favourable barrier, You Can Call Me Al (Holly Nottle) seized an early advantage while Wild Things (Lucy Fiore) was forced back to near last.

At the 150m, You Can Call Me Al raced up front and had a length in hand over Wild Things, before the latter lunged and won by a short neck in the last 50m for Morton.

Nottle delivered aboard the Fred Kersley-trained Azabelle ($21) in the Class 1 event (1,600m) before chalking up a double with Kersley again when Manjeri ($57) caused a minor upset in the Class 3 final event over 1,400m. RACING WA