Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Seven-year-old Ideal Tomado managed just one win from 29 starts in New Zealand before arriving in Western Australia 24 months ago — and he has proved an excellent moneyspinner for Mardella trainer Michael Young and a large band of owners.
Ideal Tomado’s solitary success in New Zealand came in a minor 2200m event at Cambridge in July 2021 when he began from the inside of the back line and trailed the pacemaker before finishing solidly along the sprint lane to win from Matai Louis.
In WA he has developed into a specialist frontrunner, setting the pace in ten of his eleven victories from 38 starts, and he took his career record to 67 starts for twelve wins, 18 placings and $109,965 when Gary Hall Jnr drove him to an all-the-way victory in the 2536m Allwood Stud Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Ideal Tomado was the $2 favourite from barrier three and he burst straight to the front, with Hall rating him perfectly and winning by just over a half-length from the $6.50 chance Rock Me Over, rating a modest 2min. after a smart final 400m of 28.6sec.