Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
There was action aplenty in the Larkhill Vets Your Equine Specialists Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night before the hot $1.20 favourite Ultimate Miki came from a virtually impossible position to get up in the final stride to snatch victory.
Ultimate Miki, driven by Gary Hall Jnr, began from the back line and raced in sixth position before beginning a three-wide move with about a lap to travel, and being followed by $17 chance Delulu. And then the race changed dramatically in the back straight when the leader Pinny Noir ($12) began to tire, and Overly Excited ($17) hit the front with 550m to travel, and moments later broke into a gallop, causing interference to following runners.
About 470m from home Ultimate Miki and $20 chance Rox The World, driven by Trent Wheeler, got tangled up and Deni Roberts was able to drive Delulu to the front, out four wide, before Rox The World made up ground on the inside to take the lead 270m from the post.
“I was a hindrance the whole time for Ultimate Miki,” said Hall. “I got into all sorts of trouble down the back when I locked wheels with Trent and nearly tipped him out. I didn’t do him any favours and luckily, he managed to stay in.
“I was on the outside of Trent and just picked up his wheel. And when we got the wheels unlocked my horse’s back leg hit the wheel of Rox The World’s sulky. My horse was hanging down, and that was the problem. I gave him no chance of winning on the home turn (when Wheeler had dashed Rox The World away to a good lead). It was an action-packed affair.”
Ultimate Miki responded gamely to Hall’s urgings in the home straight to get up to snatch a last-stride victory by a head from Rox The World, with Delulu wilting to finish third.
The Victorian-bred Ultimate Miki has won at his first two starts in WA for trainer Gary Hall Snr and boasts a splendid record of ten starts for seven wins, two seconds and earnings of $38,038. He was purchased for $140,000 by a group of the Hall stable’s clients last November at a reduction sale of trainer Michael Brennan’s pacers.
He is by American sire Always B Miki and is the fourth foal out of Our Sir Vancelot mare Maximum Joy, who raced 49 times for six wins, 14 placings and $31,250.