Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Seven-year-old Carana, described by his driver Deni Roberts as having been “a bit of a problem child” in New Zealand, maintained his excellent form with an easy win in the Retravision Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Produced in great shape by leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, Carana, a $4 chance, overcame the disadvantage of starting off the 20m handicap and the anticipated strong opposition from the well credentialled New Zealand pacers Montana D J ($2.50 favourite), Frankie Major ($3.80) and Bellissimo Acquisto ($4.80) to coast to a 7m win from $34 outsider Callmewhatuwant.
“He is a beautiful horse, and I was quietly confident before the race because I thought that the two favourites (Montana D J and Frankie Major) would probably go at each other at some stage,” said Roberts.
“They couldn’t quite get Carana going in New Zealand. He suffered from a fibrillation, and we got him on a good deal.”
Carana raced nine times in New Zealand for two wins (in stands) and four placings. He now has had 19 starts in Western Australia for ten wins and five placings. Eighteen of those runs were in stands.
He has yet to win a mobile event, but Roberts is confident he will perform well in mobiles, saying: “As long as I drive him quietly, nice and cold.”
Montana D J galloped badly at the start in Friday night’s race and settled down about 80 metres behind the pacemaker Frankie Major. With two laps to travel the eight runners were in single file, with Carana back in seventh position.
Callmewhatuwant was in fifth place, and when Toby Lynn eased the four-year-old off the inside to move to the breeze 1150m from home, Roberts was able to gain a perfect passage, trailing Callmewhatuwant.
After a 28.5sec. third quarter of the final mile 3, Carana sprinted fast to burst to the front with 350m to travel. He then dashed away from his rivals and won, unextended, with a final 400m section of 28.6sec.
“I was quite happy to go on my own (to the breeze),” said Roberts. “Carana can do a bit of work and he’s not completely one dimensional. And when the helmet came, I was pretty happy.”