Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Six-year-old Diego, driven with supreme confidence and aggression by Maddison Brown, gave further proof that he will be a leading contender in the rich Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups in January when he gave a bold frontrunning display to win the 2130m Westral Shadetrack Outdoor Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred gelding is more mature and is racing with greater authority than he was when unplaced from awkward barriers in the two big Cups early this year.
Diego, prepared by master trainer Gary Hall Snr, was the $1.70 favourite from the No. 5 barrier, and after settling down in fourth position he was sent forward by Brown after 250m and dashed to the front 300m later.
His stablemate Gambit ($9.50) began from the outside of the back line and Stuart McDonald showed his confidence in the gelding by sending him forward in the first circuit to move to the breeze after a lap.
After moderate opening quarters of 30.8sec. and 31.4sec. Diego sped over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.4sec. to win by a half-length from Gambit, with $8 chance Patronus Star, finishing strongly, out wide, from eighth at the bell to be third.
Brown has formed a strong and successful relationship with Diego, having driven the Bettors Delight gelding 25 times for six wins, five seconds and three thirds. Diego, a winner at three of his 17 starts in New Zealand, now has earned $295,984 from 18 wins and 18 placings from 72 starts. He is the fourth and last foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Sakura, who managed one third placings from three starts as a four-year-old.