Ken Casellas | PACEPIX
Tough stayer Gee Heza Sport gave champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond their third success in the annual Marathon when he fought on grimly to score a narrow victory in the $35,000 HTA Access Solutions Marathon over 3309m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $1.40 favourite from the back mark of 30m, and he revealed admirable fighting qualities to beat the fast-finishing $8 chance Bluto by a head after working in the breeze for much of the way.
With the sole front-line runner Swagger Man galloping at the start and Ideal Muscle standing flat-footed as the tapes were released and fellow 10m runner Maximum Rock breaking early, Callan Suvaljko was able to get $19 chance Ardens Horizon to the front soon after the start.
Gee Heza Sport got past Ardens Horizon to take a narrow lead on the home turn before he sustained his resolute finishing burst to beat Bluto, who had trailed the pacemaker all the way. The final 400m sections whizzed by in 28.1sec. and 28.4sec.
If Gee Heza Sport pulls up satisfactorily after this hard run, he is expected to contest next Friday night’s $50,000 August Cup. The New Zealand-bred seven-year-old who was making his first appearance for five weeks, has earned $517,873 from 15 wins and 12 placings from 59 starts.