Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts landed the third leg of a treble and notched her 600TH career victory when she guided the $1.10 favourite Steel The Show to a comfortable win in the $25,000 Memorial Day Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Steel The Show, a New Zealand-bred seven-year-old by Bettors Delight, was not extended over the 2536m trip in which he ran the opening quarters of the final mile in 30.9sec. and 30sec. before increasing the tempo with final 400m sections of 28.4sec. and 27.4sec.
He won by a length from $18 chance To Fast To Serious, who raced three back on the pegs in fifth position before sprinting home strongly.
“Steel The Show is a bit lazy, but he does what he has to,” said Roberts. “This milestone is pretty cool, particularly to achieve it at Gloucester Park and with one of the stable’s runners.”
Steel The Show, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, has earned $359,683 from 14 wins and 29 placings from 65 starts. He won six times in New Zealand and has been driven by Roberts in all of his 21 WA starts for eight wins and four placings.
The 28-year-old Roberts ended Friday night’s meeting with a record of 5408 drives for 600 wins, 1291 placings and stakes of $6,999,248. Her first 222 drives this season have produced 49 wins and 66 placings.