Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Classy four-year-old mare Ruby Lovera bounced back to her best form with a smart victory at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Trent Wheeler took advantage of an inside run in the home straight to win the 1730m Christmas In July Pace.
“Her main aim is the $100,000 Westbred Classic (for four-year-old mares on September 4),” said trainer Justin Prentice. “We will get some racing into her and try to have her at her peak for that race.”
Prentice, who has spent two of the past three weeks away on holidays, paid tribute to Wheeler, saying: “Trent has come down (to the Boyanup stable) and helped Katie (Lally) with the fast work, and that has been a massive help.
“Ruby Lovera went terribly at her previous start before tonight (when ninth behind Copy Cat Queen) and then we found a few things with her, and they have been sorted out and if we were to see the best version of her tonight, we thought she could win if she got the right run.”
Ruby Lovera was a $7.70 chance from the No. 2 barrier, and she enjoyed a perfect trip behind the polemarker and $2.40 favourite Beetastic, who set a brisk pace before hanging out on the home turn and in the straight.
This enabled Ruby Lovera to dash through on the inside and get to the front 25m from the post before winning by a half-length from $10 chance Heavenly Gipsy, who was eighth and last at the bell before flashing home out eight wide to snatch second place, a nose ahead of her stablemate Beetastic. The final quarters were run in 28.5sec. and 28.7sec. and the winner rated 1.55.4.
The victory gave Wheeler a 100 per cent record with Ruby Lovera. His only previous drive behind Ruby Lovera was ten starts earlier when the mare defeated Wicked Lover at Gloucester Park in May last year.
Ruby Lovera, a mare by Sweet Lou, has earned $170,694 from seven wins and six placings from 21 starts. Her victories included the Diamond Classic for two-year-olds in August 2024 and the Diamond Classic for three-year-olds in May last year. She also finished second to Fakenit in the WA Oaks last October.