Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Punters who had supported Bee Jays Boy to win the final event, the 2130m Trotsynd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night were dismayed and left holding their breath when the $2.30 favourite struck the arm of the mobile barrier with his nose and galloped at the start.
This caused Bee Jays Boy to lose the distinct advantage of setting the pace from the No. 2 barrier, and the seven-year-old gelding’s prospects looked in serious doubt when he was fifth at the bell, three back on the pegs and held in a pocket.
However, leading reinsman Shannon Suvaljko did not panic and finally he was able to extricate the gelding off the pegs and into the clear 300m from home. The pacemaker Seven No Trumps ($10) was tiring, and My Little Big Man ($23) got to the front with 100m to travel. However, Bee Jays Boy asserted his authority and quickly dashed past My Little Big Man at the 50m mark and beat that pacer by a length at a 1.58.5 rate after final quarters of 29.3sec. and 29.9sec.
Bee Jays Boy, who ended a losing sequence of twelve, is trained by Mike Reed, who was in Melbourne to attend Sunday’s standardbred yearling sale. The gelding has raced 73 times for eight wins, 25 placings and stakes of $105,762.