Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Hall of Fame trainer Gary Hall Snr has veteran pacer Wildwest fit and well and ready to contest the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on November 10.
The lightly-raced seven-year-old was having his third start after a seven-month absence when he was the $2.40 favourite from barrier one in the $31,000 TABtouch Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven for the first time by Deni Roberts (and becoming the seventh different driver to handle the New Zealand-bred gelding at his most recent eight starts), Wildwest set a solid pace and held on to win by a half-neck from stablemate Jumpingjackmac ($3.90), with Blitzembye ($26) a length farther back in third place.
The final three quarters were run in 28.9sec., 28.5sec. and 27.8sec. and Wildwest rated 1.57.6, taking his record to 43 starts for 14 wins, eight placings and $524,623.
He has contested the past two WA Pacing Cups, starting at 100/1 and gaining a freak inside run to win in a blanket finish from Miracle Moose and Chicago Bull in February 2022, and then he was an outsider at $91 in the big race last February when he raced five back on the pegs and finished eighth behind Diego.
Jumpingjackmac and stablemate Diego are also on target for the upcoming Pacing Cup, with Jumpingjackmac finishing determinedly after enjoying the perfect trail in the one-out, one-back position.
Diego, the reigning Pacing Cup champion (leading and beating Jumpingjackmac and Mighty Ronaldo last January), was an $8 chance on Friday night when he raced in the breeze all the way before wilting to fourth in the five-horse field.