Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Well-bred six-year-old Star Of Willoughby ended a long drought when he relished his frontrunning role and scored a convincing win in the Westside Auto Service Vehicle Detailing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Follow The Stars gelding, a newcomer to Serpentine trainer Matt Scott’s stables, was a $6.50 chance who mustered plenty of pace from barrier five and was sent to the front after 100m by Shannon Suvaljko after Acoltnamedsu ($23) was smartest into stride.
Gee Smith, a $6.50 chance and a stablemate of Star Of Willoughby, settled at the rear from barrier eight before dashing forward to move to the breeze after 500m.
After a 28.8sec. third quarter of the final mile, Star Of Willoughby went on to win by a length from Acoltnamedsu, with Beyond Bling ($3.90) a close-up third after racing in the one-out, one-back position.
Star Of Willoughby was bred and is owned by Bob Fowler, who sent Queen Of Stars to be trained by Scott last December.
“Queen Of Stars won first-up for me at Busselton on Boxing Day and then won at her next start at Busselton,” said Scott.
“Then Bob rang me about five weeks ago and asked me to take four horses, Star Of Willoughby, Military Star, True Aristocrat and Regimental Star. He told me that my aim would be to get Star Of Willoughby to the $100,000 mark in stakemoney.”
Star Of Willoughby ran second first-up for Scott, and at his fourth start for his new stable his win on Friday night boosted his earnings to $103,366, from ten wins and 28 placings from 85 starts.
“I think his future is in Adelaide,” said Scott. “There is a good chance that after another few runs for me Star Of Willoughby will continue his career in South Australia,” said Scott.
A couple of months ago Fowler sent another of his Follow The Stars six-year-olds Per Ardua Ad Astra to Adelaide where trainer Shane Loone won four races from four starts with the gelding in the space of 15 days at Globe Derby Park last month.
Star Of Willoughby’s win on Friday night was his first success for 30 months and ended a losing sequence of 33. He is out of Allamerican Ingot mare Lady Willoughby, who raced 53 times for 16 wins, 14 placings and $167,293.
Lady Willoughby’s half-brother Lord Willoughby earned $409,564 from 43 wins and 76 placings from 246 starts. He won 15 times in WA and went on to win another 28 races in America. Lady Willoughby is out of former star mare Amongst Royalty, who had 86 starts for 23 wins, 27 placings and stakes of $570,820.