The second running of the 2023 Group 2 Perth Cup saw the David Harrison-trained Buster Bash win by more than four lengths in an open race, but earlier in the card leading Perth jockey Chris Parnham earned the ire of stewards resulting in a ten-day suspension.
Starting favourite at $5, Buster Bash sat just off the leaders towards the halfway mark of the 2400-metre journey before jockey Shaun Mcgruddy ‘said go’ on the home turn when the five -year-old gelding burst away to record a win in the re-run event over Stafford’s Lad ($16) ridden by Chris Parnham with the Adam Durrant-trained Pure Devotion ($13) more than a length-margin in third.
Named after a friend who, three decades ago, trainer David Harrison had promised he would name a horse after, that declaration has delivered beyond anyone’s expectations.
“An old mate, Buster, I said to him when he was dying that I’d name a horse after him,” Harrison said.
“He was the toughest fighter in Geraldton and I said to him he was tough trying to fight Motor Neurone (disease) so this is a beautiful name for him.”
In the week of the highlight Magic Millions Yearling Sales on the Gold Coast, Buster Bash’s win was a throwback to the 2019 sales in Perth where he was purchased for $10,000. His prizemoney now exceeds $727,000.
“He’s by sprinting types and he was a nuggety little fella but he’s turned out to be a stayer,” Harrison said.”We never anticipated where we are now.”
Chris Parnham narrowly leads the Western Australia jockey’s premiership race with 52 wins, three clear of Natasha Faithfull, but will miss ten meetings from this Saturday after pleading guilty to a charge of careless riding in the Own The Dream Win A Racehorse Handicap (1200m) for shifting ground on his mount Saloon Bar 50 metres from the line.