Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Man-of-the-moment trainer Michael Young credits Plutonium’s outstanding return to racing after an injury-enforced 13-month absence to a complete change in the six-year-old’s training regime and 19-year-old stablehand Joseph Suvaljko’s devotion to the task of galloping the gelding in the sand.
The New Zealand-bred Plutonium recorded his third win from three starts in his comeback campaign when Gary Hall Jnr drove him to a smart victory in the 2536m Kiara, Michael and Joseph @ Young Pacing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He seems to be in the zone at the moment,” said Young. “Maybe it is the work of Joe, who rides him. Plutonium used to work in the cart on the track but now he does all his fast work in the saddle. Maybe that’s what has turned him around.
“With his dodgy tendon we didn’t want to work him on the track. We wanted to keep him off the hard ground as much as possible, and when he comes to the races it is the only time he has gear on.”
Plutonium, the $3.10 second fancy on Friday night, began from out wide at barrier No. 7, and he settled down in seventh position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst after 500m to race in the breeze outside the pacemaker and $1.80 favourite Al Guerrero.
Plutonium forged to the front 270m from the finish, and he won convincingly from Watabro ($13) and Al Guerrero, rating 1.58.8 after final quarters of 27.9sec. and 28.7sec.
“He is surprising me,” said Young. “He has always had that kind of physical strength about him. But he didn’t have it mentally.”
Three wins on consecutive Friday nights have boosted Plutonium’s record to 35 starts for 11 wins, seven placings and stakes of $94,187.