In the 20-year history of this harness racing event, no trotter has started from 50 meters or further, and Majestic Ga Ga will appear on the outside of Patched and Luvaflair from this point this week.
Outstanding young driver Emily Suvaljko is looking forward to guiding the Victorian-bred five-year-old mare to victory and says she has a special bond with Majestic Ga Ga.
“She is the horse I have won the most races with, with her last start win, in Pinjarra on Monday, being my 11th win with her,” she said. This improved on Suvaljko’s ten wins with brilliant pacer Miracle Moose in 2020 and 2021.
Majestic Ga Ga warmed up for Friday night’s task with an effortless win at Pinjarra on Monday, when she started fast from barrier No. 6 to burst forward after 150 meters and set a brisk pace before beating Luvaflair by a length and a half, scoring 2,0,4 over 2185 metres.
Majestic Ga Ga’s two previous starts have been in mobile events over 1730 meters at Gloucester Park – and she heads into the Trotters Cup, a state, with an impressive record of six wins, two seconds and three thirds from her past eleven starts.
Although she is a known speed demon when she excels as a frontrunner, Suvaljko says, “She is better as a seat sprinter.”
Majestic Ga Ga will attempt to become the second horse to win the Trotters Sprint and Trotters Cup in one season. She won the 1730m Trotters Sprint two starts ago when she overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line. She started brilliantly and then raced behind pacesetter My Lightning McQueen before beating that mare by half a length at a pace of 1.58.
The only horse to have won the Sprint and the Cup in the same season is Sun Of Anarchy, who won the Cup in January 2019 and the Sprint two months later.
Majestic Ga Ga is prepared by top trainer Michael Young, who hopes to go one better this year than in 2024 when his Victorian-bred six-year-old mare Evas Image finished second behind Our Maestoso in the Sprint and the Cup.
On paper, Majestic Ga Ga, Patched and Luvaflair face a monumental task from 50 meters, when the records show that the Trotters Cup has been won once by a trotter from 40 meters (Nacokee in 2010) and three times by horses from 30 meters (Compressor in 2009, Princess Mila in 2020 and Patched 12 months ago).
Pinjarra trainer David Young has won the Trotters Cup twice – with the evergreen Patched, driven to victory by Aiden de Campo in 2023 and 2025. Patched started from 30 meters behind in last year’s Cup, zooming ahead 1300 meters from home to race outside pacesetter Uptown Lad before taking the lead 260 meters from home to win by a head from Nickys Son.
Patched started from 20 meters in the 2023 Cup when he rang the bell from seventh to win by two lengths from Chumani. In the 2024 Trotters Cup, Patched started from 40 meters and finished an excellent third place behind Our Maestoso and Evas Image.
This year, Patched is piloted by Young’s niece Jocelyn Young, whose father Kim Macladdie (backed from 4/1 to 7/4) trained and rode to victory over Dash Of Light in the inaugural Trotters Cup in January 2006. A year later Kim Young set the pace with 14/1 chance Truscott Storm, who were beaten by a nose in the final step by 8/1 chance Risk And Reward.
Grumpee, a newcomer from Victoria to David Young’s Pinjarra stables, is capable of a daring show when he starts from 20 yards with the Campo in the sulky.
Grumpee was the $1.75 favorite when he galloped poorly at the start of the 1730m Trotters Sprint last Friday, chasing his rivals throughout. That followed runaway wins in Pinjarra on his two previous outings. Young has a handy third string runner in That’s Not My Gait, which will be piloted by Deni Roberts from the 10m line.
Waroona coach Nigel Johns, who prepared Compressor for his 2009 Trotters Cup victory, will pilot Aldebaran Sundown, who will start from the 10 metres. However, his best winning candidate will undoubtedly prove to be the great eight-year-old mare Luvaflair, who has collected $302,883 in prize money from 29 wins and 48 placings from 151 starts. Luvaflair is handled by its regular driver Donald Harper.
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Through Ken Casellasfor Gloucester Park
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