Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
When veteran pacer Luvbite was purchased for $10,000 about four months ago by a band of ace trainer Michael Young’s faithful stable clients, expectations were not particularly high.
However, the seven-year-old Victorian-bred gelding, who had managed just three metro-class wins (at Albion Park from 147 starts in Victoria and Queensland) and arrived in Western Australia with a losing sequence of 31, has belied cautious but hopeful predictions with four wins at Gloucester Park in the space of two months and earning $55,064 in prizemoney.
Luvbite completed a hat-trick of wins at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was a $30.10 outsider who romped his way to an effortless victory in the $30,000 Pure Steel Pace over 2536m.
That followed decisive wins in 2503m standing-start events at his two previous appearances, and he now has raced 155 times for 17 wins, 57 placings and $256,940 in stakes.
Driven confidently by Young’s 22-year-old stablehand Kylah Madden, Luvbite overcame the disadvantage of beginning from out wide at barrier No. 8 by dashing forward, out three wide, to get to the front past the early pacemaker and stablemate Beetastic ($3.90) after 400m.
After comfortable opening quarters of 31sec. and 29.6sec. Luvbite gave his rivals little chance by sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 27.6sec. He beat Beetastic by just under three lengths, with $151 outsider and last-start winner Medieval Man 4m back in third place.
Boy Blue, the $1.65 favourite from the outside of the back line, raced at the rear before following the three-wide run of the $3.80 second fancy Im Massimo at the bell. However, both pacers were forced wider in the final circuit and dropped back to fill the final two positions in the 12-horse field.
“I knew Luvbite had the speed to get forward but I expected Im Massimo to go forward. But he went back at the start,” said Young.
“Racing here has been barrier dominated for a few weeks now. I think they have re-done the track, and it is fence dominated at the moment, not only favouring the frontrunners and winners but the second and third placegetters are also coming from the pegs.
“Sometimes these older veterans do well when they are rejuvenated. He has always had the ability and has been a good horse.”