3 minute read
Everyone knows racing is all about the headwear and this fundamental truth held strong throughout the world’s first tricode slot race series.
The TABtouch Western Trilogy opened on Friday night with The Sandgroper at Cannington, where black cowboy hats dominated the scene as the RAM Racing crew spread out across the course in western gear.
Dominating the track, however, was Crumble Monelli for Total Container Solutions, leading home fellow locals Momentum for Team Guess and RAM's Elite Machine to put West Australian contenders in the top three places.
Well-fancied interstate raiders Victa Damian and Wow She's Fast came in behind at fifth and seventh respectively for the $500,000 race, much to local satisfaction.
After The Sandgroper, racegoers who had pledged to score The Trilogy by attending all three races across the series left behind the families with kids playing on carnival rides at Cannington to make the trip to Gloucester Park for The Nullarbor.
At Australia's first harness slot race there was a shift in headgear trends, with Ladbrokes red caps dotted throughout the course, outnumbering the late-arriving RAM cowboy hats.
However, the home crowd hat-itude didn't propel WA contenders Magnificent Storm or Lavra Joe to the front in the $1million feature event.
The wildcard of the field, Betterzippit, took the lead about halfway through the race and held off a late surge from fellow New South Wales raider Spirit Of St Louis for a narrow win.
Jumpingjackmac preserved local pride by taking third place.
The following day, as a 7000-strong crowd converged on Ascot Racecourse for The Quokka, there was a third shift in headwear.
Variety was on trend, with panamas, fascinators, boaters, headbands, fedoras and caps of all colours appearing on the course, along with the now-familiar RAM cowboys.
Ahead of the race, top jockey William Pike said racing was always a strategic sport for jockeys but he was intrigued to watch the tactics spread through the racing community as deals were done for slot contenders in the lead-up to the trilogy.
"There's been a lot of hype and a lot of people playing tactical games. People who would normally watch things unfold have been getting involved because of the unique slot race set up and what's at stake," William said.
"Slots have been filled that didn't pan out and I must have been booked for three or four horses at different stages.
"There's been a lot of interest in all three racing codes."
In a dramatic finale to the race series, WA's Amelia's Jewel came scorching from the back of the field to lunge across the line just a nostril behind New South Wales sprinter Overpass, with Victoria's Bella Nipotina taking third place.
It was hats in the air for the RAM team, whose move to buy slots in all three Western Trilogy races paid off handsomely when they lifted The Quokka trophy.
Racing and Wagering WA Chief Executive Officer Ian Edwards said it was good to see the honours shared across the three races between locals and the raiders.
"I'm delighted for Western Australia to have achieved a world first in creating and running a tri-code slot race series," Ian said.
"I enjoyed seeing RAM Racing, a local group of friends who formed a syndicate, not only take slots in all three races but finish with a huge win, thanks to Overpass.
"They added a great energy and atmosphere to the races and I hope to see them again next year.
"This is the first chapter of The Western Trilogy, and I think we've made a good start to the story. We'll review the race series and consider how we'd like future chapters to unfold.
"It would be great to see our slot racing event become not just a highlight of the West Australian racing landscape but a significant feature of Australian sport and a destination event for WA in the years ahead.
"My hope is that The Western Trilogy will make a valuable contribution to the WA community."
With some slotholders, including TABtouch and Sportsbet, announcing they will donate prize money to good causes, the hat trick goes to Western Australia.
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