Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Trainer Michael Young’s purple patch continued at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he landed a treble with Doc Holliday, The Mustang and Alcippes Delight.
He was generous in his praise of champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr when he lauded him for his skill in the sulky to guide $5.40 chance Alcippes Delight to a runaway victory in the 2130m The Nullarbor Slot Applications Close Pace.
“All we can put that one down to is a masterclass drive; it was ten out of ten,” said Young. “Junior got off the pegs (after racing behind the pacemaker Blaze Coops) about the 1200m, and then sat there and locked Ryan (Warwick) up and stacked them all up. It was great awareness.”
Hall was content to remain in the breeze in the final lap, thus keeping the $1.55 favourite Unconditional (driven by Warwick) under lock and key on the pegs, before dashing Alcippes Delight away from her rivals approaching the home turn and racing away to beat $101 outsider Sameplace Sametime by three lengths, with All The Bells ($6) a half-length farther back in third place, ahead of Unconditional, who was blocked for a run until the final stages.
Alcippes Delight, a winner at two of her ten New Zealand starts, has raced ten times for Young in Western Australia for five wins and three placings. “Maybe I’ll give Alcippes Delight a little freshen up and try to get her in the upcoming feature events for mares,” said Young.