Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
“It’s nice to get a soft win, but things will get harder,” said Gary Hall Jnr after driving the brilliant New Zealand-bred three-year-old Cyclone Jordy to a runaway victory in the $23,000 Westside Auto Wholesale Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was little more than a stroll in the park for the $1.04 favourite, who settled down in the one-out, two-back position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst 450m after the start. The Art Major gelding took the lead 200m later after a very slow lead time of 38.9sec. and a dawdling opening quarter of the final mile in 31.8sec.
The second 400m section was covered in 30.3sec. before Cyclone Jordy increased the tempo and dashed over the final quarters in 27.7sec. and 27.9sec. to win by just over six lengths from six-year-old Navy Street ($34), with eight-year-old Medieval Man finishing solidly to be a head farther back in third place.
Ten-year-old Regal Cheval, having his 160TH start, was first out from the No. 7 barrier, but was unable to cross Navy Street, who began speedily from the No. 2 barrier.
Regal Cheval, a $41 chance driven by Maddison Brown, raced in the breeze early before Showpony ($61) took that position 1200m from home. Then, 150m later Regal Cheval met with interference and broke, causing Galaxy Warrior, Cordero and Winegum to be badly checked.
Cyclone Jordy, prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, is making every post a winner on his way to contesting the rich WA Derby later in the year. He has not been extended in winning at his four starts in WA, scoring by an average margin of four lengths. He is poised to improve significantly from his record of seven wins and one second from nine starts for stakes of $198,287.