Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Up-and-coming star Captain Bligh is getting better all the time, according to Stuart McDonald after he had driven the New Zealand-bred four-year-old to a splendid victory in the 1730m Cash Converters Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He has shown at his past two starts much improved tractability,” said McDonald. “He is a lot more controllable and that makes him a better racehorse who will go all the way to Free-For-All company.
“Captain Bligh works with our better horses at home, and they find it hard to get past him when he leads. He just has to learn how to race, and he looks like he’s on that path at the moment.”
Captain Bligh, trained by Gary Hall Snr, was the $1.40 favourite from barrier three, and McDonald sent him past the polemarker Velocipede and into the lead after 200m, leaving Blaze On ($19) in the breeze.
After a 28.5sec. third 400m section Captain Bligh sprinted over the final quarter in 27.8sec. and won by a length from Velocipede, with $6 chance Coney Island Lou running home solidly to be third to give Hall a trifecta result.
Captain Bligh, who rated 1.54.3, raced nine times in New Zealand for two second placings, and his WA record of 18 starts for eight wins and three placings has taken his career figures to 27 starts for eight wins, five placings and $74,743.