Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Outstanding young reinsman Kyle Symington, just back in Australia two weeks earlier after a three-month American holiday, celebrated his return to harness racing action at Gloucester Park on Friday night by landing outsider Hillview Bondi a thrilling last-stride winner in the 2130m TABtouch Share My Bet Pace.
Hillview Bondi, trained by Ryan Bell, was a $30.40 outsider when he broke a ten-month drought with his victory in a dramatic four-way blanket photo finish which revealed he had won by a head from dead-heaters Regal Cheval ($10) and Chivalry ($2.70), with the $2.45 favourite and pacemaker Loucid Dreams a head away in fifth place.
The 22-year-old Symington has enjoyed a highly successful association with the six-year-old Hillview Bondi, having driven him at 30 of his 76 starts for 12 wins, five seconds and one third placing.
Hillview Bondi had been unplaced at his previous nine starts, and Friday night’s win took his career earnings to $156,963 from 16 wins and 19 placings.
“He has been a ripper of a horse, and Kyle has an impeccable record with him,” said Bell. “His past three track runs have been the best of his career, and tonight was about the first time he has been sat-up.”
Symington did not bustle Hillview Bondi in the early stages, and he quickly angled him across to race three back on the pegs in fifth position while Loucid Dreams was holding the challenging Chivalry at bay and Stuart McDonald got Regal Cheval into the prime one-out, one-back position.
Hillview Bondi got off the pegs 450m from home and he was sixth 100m from the post before charging home, out four wide, to snatch victory.
McDonald lodged a protest against Chivalry, alleging interference in the closing stages. He said that Chivalry had shifted out and that contact was made between the stays of the two sulkies. Harper countered by saying that he had held his line from the home turn and up the straight.
The stewards dismissed the protest, with chairman Brad Lewis saying that there had been only a very slight impediment to Regal Cheval.