Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice has always been an astute judge of horseflesh, and his decision to pay just $22,000 for Mighty Ronaldo at the 2019 Perth APG yearling sale has proved a masterstroke.
Mighty Ronaldo, now a six-year-old, is proving a remarkable bargain for Prentice and several stable clients, with his splendid victory in the $31,000 TABtouch Free-For-All over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night taking his career record to 53 starts for 13 wins, 17 placings and stakes of $727,112.
Mighty Ronaldo was the $1.80 favourite from barrier three, with strong support for Watts Up Sunshine resulting in the polemarker starting at $2.20.
Watts Up Sunshine began speedily and Gary Hall Jnr was able to give the six-year-old an easy time in front with a slow lead time of 38.9sec. and an ambling opening quarter of 31.2sec. before increasing the tempo with the final three 400m sections being run in 28.3sec., 27.8sec. and 27.5sec.
The field of five raced in Indian file before Deni Roberts eased $14 chance Galactic Star off the pegs in last position with 1300m to travel. Emily Suvaljko, who had Mighty Ronaldo pacing comfortably in third position, reacted to this move and wisely got Mighty Ronaldo off the inside and into the breeze 1050m from home.
It was soon afterwards that class told, with Suvaljko dashing Mighty Ronaldo past Watts Up Sunshine and into the lead about 250m from home. Mighty Ronaldo went on to win by just over a length from Watts Up Sunshine, rating 1.56.2.
Prentice praised Suvaljko for what he described as a very good drive. “It was always going to be a tricky race in which to drive, knowing that Junior (Hall) would be leading and driving to beat Mighty Ronaldo,” he said. “And that makes things pretty difficult.
“Mighty Ronaldo has run good times in the breeze, though he hasn’t won those races. Obviously, it is not his ideal position, but I still thought he was capable of doing it tonight. He has been competing in all the big races, and he is pretty reliant on the draw. And he has had a horrible run of draws.”
Prentice is setting Mighty Ronaldo for the $50,000 Bunbury Cup on March 30, and he is looking forward to Mighty Ronaldo and/or either of his talented stablemates Tricky Miki and Never Ending being chosen by a slot owner to run in the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race on April 19.