Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Part-owner and trainer Lindsay Harper describes six-year-old Eldaytona as a nice horse with issues who has earned $226,872 despite never regaining his brilliant form as a two-year-old.
Eldaytona caused a surprise at Gloucester Park on Friday night when, as a $24 outsider in the $21,000 TABtouch Pace, he gave a spirited frontrunning performance before holding on to win by a head from $7.50 chance Rockmyster.
Eldaytona was driven for the first time by Harper’s daughter-in-law Lauren Harper, who took full advantage of the coveted No. 1 barrier by setting a brisk pace and rating a slick 1.55.5 over 2130m, with a final 800m of 56.6sec.
Brilliant mare Wonderful To Fly was the $2.40 favourite who was driven out from barrier three in a bid for the early lead, but lost momentum when she paced roughly.
“When I saw Wonderful To Fly put in a roughie, I kept hunting through to see if I could lead,” said Lauren Harper.
Wonderful To Fly settled down in fifth position and was sixth at the bell before finishing a well-beaten sixth. Rockmyster, who trailed Eldaytona all the way, got into the clear on the home turn and finished strongly to just fail to overhaul Eldaytona.
“Eldaytona has had severe muscle problems for a couple of years,” said Lindsay Harper. “And this has made his heart, and everything work hard. We can’t get on top of the problem. We’ve taken bloods and had vets treating him, but it’s still a puzzle.
“Eldaytona went 1.54 as a two-year-old when he clashed with Lavra Joe a lot, and there wasn’t a lot between them. The night he went 1.54 Lavra Joe beat him by a nose, and a week later he beat Lavra Joe, running the final mile in 1.53.5.
“He fractured a knee at the end of his two-year-old campaign, and that combined with the muscle problems has prevented him from getting back to the level he was at.”
Eldaytona, who had been unplaced at his eight starts before Friday night’s race, has had 74 starts for 17 wins and 24 placings.