Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
The rich Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups in January are on the agenda for the vastly-improved Plutonium after the six-year-old maintained his brilliant form with a thrilling victory in the $30,000 Australia’s Got Talent Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“The Cups are the aim for him now, and he has certainly done nothing wrong since coming back after recovering from a bowed tendon,” said trainer Michael Young after Maddison Brown had driven the New Zealand-bred gelding to an all-the-way win over Gambit and Jumpingjackmac.
Plutonium was a hot $1.55 favourite after the pre-post favourite Hampton Banner was scratched following an unfortunate paddock accident at trainer Debra Lewis’s Hopeland stables.
“He was kicked by his paddock mate Mirragon during the night and had a bit of a sore neck,” said part-owner Mark Lewis. “We were advised by the vet to be conservative and not to run him. It is only a minor injury, and he will be back racing within a week or two.”
With Hampton Banner’s withdrawal, Plutonium began from the prized No. 1 barrier, and he was able to amble through the lead time in a slow 39.4sec. and then coast through the first quarters of the final mile in dawdling times of 32.7sec. and 30.9sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 29.1sec. and 26.9sec.
Plutonium held on to beat $13 chance Gambit by a half-head after that pacer had raced in the breeze. Jumpingjackmac ($8) raced in the one-out and one-back position before finishing fast, out wide, to be a half-head away in third place. The winner rated a slow 2.0.1 over the 2130m.
Plutonium has been superb in his current campaign (after a 13-month absence) with his nine runs producing seven wins, one second and one third placing for stakes of $115,913 to take his career record to 41 starts for 15 wins, nine placings and stakes of $175,734.
“Going too slowly tonight probably almost got him beaten tonight,” said Young. “The Cups are the aim for him now. In his previous campaign it took me 12 runs to win an M0 with him.”