Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Victorian-bred five-year-old Beat City stepped up to Conditioned class racing after Maddison Brown gave a flawless exhibition in the sulky to guide the gelding to narrow victory in the $20,375 Retravision.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Conditioned racing is one step below Free-For-All company, and trainer Michael Young said he was confident the gelding would handle the rise in class.
“Beat City is probably the best sit-sprinter in the stable and he is filling the void left by Vespa, who is expected to start racing in America in the near future,” said Young.
Vespa won nine times for Young, including seven in metropolitan-class events, before leaving for the United States in August.
Beat City has been a star performer for Young, having had 33 starts for him for nine wins, eleven seconds and four thirds for stakes of $144,932. His career record now stands at 69 starts for 18 wins, 26 placings and $223,885.
Beat City is out of the Bettors Delight mare TPS Girl, who also produced Sarge, who has earned $96,840 from ten wins and 38 placings from 125 starts. Sarge won once in Victoria and four times in New South Wales. He also raced 69 times in WA between 2018 and 2020 for five wins and 17 placings.
Polemarker Master Publisher was the $1.55 favourite in Friday night’s race, and he set the pace despite hanging out early. Brown quickly manoeuvred Beat City, the $5.90 second fancy, from barrier two to three back on the pegs in fifth position.
The third quarter of the final mile was run in a smart 27.7sec. and Brown cleverly eased Beat City off the pegs 450m from home, and the gelding went four wide on the home turn and sprinted fast to get up and snatch victory from $13 chance Ima Rockabilly Rebel, who was sixth at the bell before finishing strongly to get to the front 60m from the post.