Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
It was just too close for comfort agreed Deni Roberts after she had driven the $1.20 favourite Ten to The Dozen to a head victory over $8 chance Menemsha in the $50,000 APG WA Sales Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“There were anxious moments at the start and at the finish,” said Roberts. “He has two gears, slow and fast, and he hasn’t quite worked things out.
“He fell asleep at the start but managed to hold the lead. Then he copped plenty of pressure (from Menemsha) throughout and he didn’t get a chance for a breather. I was happy with him, and I thought he was pretty tough.
“I pulled the plugs at the 700m. He can run a really good half, so I liked rolling down the back (with a 28sec. third quarter followed by a final 400m of 28.2sec.). He rated 1.55.5 which is the fastest of his career.”
Ten To The Dozen, purchased for $65,000 at the 2022 APG Perth yearling sale, is trained by Greg and Skye Bond, and has had 16 starts for eight wins, four placings and $123,898. He is by Art Major and is the first foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Nolessthanperfect, who had 17 starts in WA between 2017 and 2019 for five wins, six placings and $33,893.
Ten To The Dozen has yet to race beyond 2130m but should mature into a strong contender for the 2536m WA Derby late this year. His immediate mission is the $50,000 Caduceus Club Classic over 2130m on April 26.
The eye-catching run of the race in Friday night’s event was that of the Bond-trained $61 outsider The Little Master, who began out wide at barrier nine and was ninth at the bell before flying home, out five wide, into third place.
And Aiden De Campo’s Menemsha (second) and Grevis (fifth) showed that they will be prominent in three-year-old events this year.