Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
A change in training workouts for Onesmartfella has proved successful, with the New Zealand-bred seven-year-old returning to his best form and ending a losing sequence of seven with a strong win in the 1730m Team Bond Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Onesmartfella, the $5.10 second fancy, was driven to perfection by Chris Voak, who angled the gelding from out wide at barrier seven into the one-out, one-back position before finishing strongly to get to the front 70m from the post and winning by a half-length from the $1.95 favourite Cherishthememories, who set a solid pace after working hard to get to the front 500m after the start.
Voak was granted permission by the stewards to drive Onesmartfella ahead of Troopingofthecolor, a five-year-old he trains. Troopingofthecolor, driven by Aiden De Campo, raced at the rear and did not show up, finishing last in the field of nine.
Jemma Hayman, who trains Onesmartfella, said that she was disappointed with him when he finished second to Bettorstartdreaming last Friday week.
“I thought he should have won,” said Hayman. “So, I switched his training over the past couple of weeks, easing him up a bit and taking him off his day-by-day jog work on the heavy sand. He was probably getting a bit muscle sore and leg weary. Now, the lighter work seems to suit him.”
Onesmartfella, a Tintin In America gelding, has earned $88,400 from ten wins and 13 placings from 43 starts.