Wolfe the Man out to spoil Oliver’s farewell party
Red Can Man aiming for a piece of Perth’s $1.5 million Gold Rush
Steve Wolfe will be hoping to spoil the Gold Rush retirement party for Damien Oliver, a jockey the veteran Western Australian-based trainer described as a wonderful ambassador for the racing industry over a long period of time.
While Wolfe is full of admiration for Oliver, who will bow out on Munhamek (Dark Angel) in the aptly named Damien Oliver Gold Rush (Gr 3, 1400m) at Ascot tomorrow, the trainer has the in-form Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man) as a rival in the $1.5 million race and he believes the gelding can feature prominently.
Seven-year-old Red Can Man was uncharacteristically slow away in the Winterbottom Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) on his most recent start, but finished off well to run fourth, three and a quarter lengths from winning interstate raider Overpass (Vancouver).
“He was a bit stiff. He was a bit slowly away, which is abnormal, and then late in the piece he got squeezed up a bit [by Ripcord],” Wolfe said yesterday.
“He probably could have run second or third with a bit of luck. When you’re racing at this level you’ve got to have all the breaks.”
A first-up Crawford Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner in October prior to a third in the Prince Of Wales (Gr 3, 1000m) and a sixth in the Colonel Reeves (Gr 3, 1100m) this preparation, Red Can Man is expected to “map” in a more favourable position tomorrow compared to his Winterbottom journey.
“All the better ones are drawn wide and there’s good speed inside, so I think we’ll be in the pie line, in the one-one,” Wolfe said.
“I think it’ll be a bit simpler this time with Baby Paris and Massimo probably going forward. I think he’ll be in a nice spot really.”
Last year’s Gold Rush winner The Astrologist (Zoustar) – Red Can Man ran fifth – went on to campaign in the UK but Wolfe harbours no such lofty goals for his gelding, instead eyeing a new $350,000 slot race at Albany next March.
Wolfe operates a Perth stable at Ascot as well as an Albany stable in the state’s Great Southern region and it is his country base where Red Can Man is trained.
“Whatever happens, he’ll go out after Saturday and he’ll probably come back for the race we’ve got back here [in Albany] for the $350,000 race we’ve got down here called the Bluff Knoll,” the trainer said.
“He’ll get into that pretty well if he doesn’t win on Saturday and I am sure he’s still going to be competitive. Whilst he’s only won one in the past couple of years he’s been unlucky and he’s still earned plenty of money.
“It’s a bit hard over here. We haven’t got a lot of options but we’ll take what’s there and he may pick up a couple more yet.”
Paul Harvey rides Red Can Man but the majority of impartial race fans will have at least one eye on Oliver during the Gold Rush.
“I think there’ll be a big crowd saying goodbye to Damien because he’s been a wonderful ambassador for the industry for a long time,” Wolfe said.
“Someone else will step up, no doubt, which is what happens with horses and people, but he’ll be remembered in WA as one of the greatest we’ve ever seen here or anywhere else.”
Earlier on the card, Wolfe will saddle up third favourite Hang Glider (Flying Artie) in race seven, a race where Devine Belief (Playing God) is the $3.90 favourite.
Trained by David Harrison and to be ridden by Oliver, Devine Belief has won four of her eight starts and over $200,000 in prize-money, having been purchased for $130,000 from the 2021 Perth sale.
Devine Belief was sold as a yearling by Wolfe who paid what is now a rather paltry sum for her mother Alchemic (Tribu) with the promising mare in utero to Western Australia’s champion.
“I actually raced the mare in later times. She won five or six for the Websters [trainers Graeme Snr and Colin] and then they tried to get her in foal,” Wolfe revealed.
“We got her back and won six races with her and then the owners bred from her and I think I bought everything out of her and I then I bought her in foal to Playing God for $10,000 [in 2019]. We’ve got a full-sister to Devine Belief who is called Plays With Magic.
“She ran last in a trial but she pulled up very shin sore and Devine Belief has had the same problem, which is why she is so lightly raced.
“Mine goes quite well actually.”