Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Up-and-coming four-year-old Street Hawk looks destined for an outstanding career after he romped to victory in the $50,000 Group 3 SEFS Preux Chevalier Four-Year-Old Classic at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He definitely has the ability to be a player in the big feature events for four-year-olds at the end of the year,” said Deni Roberts after she had driven the Greg and Skye Bond-trained gelding to his two-and-a-half length win over Tricky Miki, rating 1.57.8 over the 2536m journey after dashing over the final 800m in 56.6sec.
“Street Hawk has got a really good turn of foot which you need in that grade, and he has a bit of toughness, too. He grows a leg in front, as most horses do around GP.
“His previous few runs were awesome when he didn’t have much luck. So, it was nice to find the rail with him tonight and have it on his terms.
“There was a little bit of pressure to get to the lead (after 200m) when Lucca was trying to hold him out, and then we had one move (from Alcopony) and another move (from The Miki Taker) to contend with. But I was still able to rate Street Hawk within his comfort zone.”
Street Hawk, who had finished second at each of his three previous starts, was the $1.80 favourite, with Tricky Miki, making his first appearance since winning the WA Derby 20 weeks earlier, the second fancy at $2.75 from the outside barrier in the field of eight.
Tricky Miki was not bustled early and Gary Hall Jnr was content to remain in last position until he sent the brilliant gelding forward in the back straight in the final circuit. Tricky Miki finished with a determined burst to finish second, narrowly ahead of $34 chance Lucca, who fought on gamely after trailing the pacemaker.
Street Hawk, a winner at two of his six New Zealand starts, has raced 13 times in WA for seven wins and four placings. He is the fourth foal out of Racketeers Girl, whose 54 starts were all in Western Australia for eight wins, 14 placings and $86,545.
Racketeers Girl showed excellent promise as a young pacer, finishing second to Artemis Belle in the Daintys Daughter Classic at Gloucester Park in March 2011 and then shining as a four-year-old with a head second to Thumpem in the Manea Classic at Bunbury, a fifth to Ohokas Bondy in the Four-Year-Old Classic at Pinjarra and third to Ohokas Bondy in the Group 3 WA Triple Crown final at Gloucester Park.