Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred four-year-old Alcopony is a versatile pacer with one of his chief assets being his sprinting ability, according to Emily Suvaljko, who drove the Kevin Keys-trained gelding to a stylish win in the 1730m Follow the Stars Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Alcopony was a $5.90 chance from the No.4 barrier, and Suvaljko made a bold bid for the early lead, with the gelding getting his nose in front before Suvaljko realised that the polemarker Getn Wiggy Withit ($4.80) was going to hold the lead.
“I was hoping to lead,” said Suvaljko. “I think that if the two (Illawong Mustang) hadn’t come out I would’ve gone close to leading. But by the time we got to the first corner Getn Wiggy Withit was starting to muster up, and I saw that there was a spot behind that horse, so I took it.
“Alcopony hasn’t been able to get to the fence at his previous few runs, and I think that he sprints so much faster, coming off the fence. It was just a matter of waiting as long as possible and not getting itchy fingers. He has got a really good sprint, but the shorter the sharper it is.”
There was ample room in the final lap for Suvaljko to angle Alcopoy off the pegs, but she waited until approaching the home turn to get Alcopony into the clear. He sprinted fast and burst to the front 100m from the post and won by two lengths from the $3.40 equal favourite Goodfellaz, who raced in the breeze before Chris Lewis sent him to the front with 270m to travel. Getn Wiggy Withit wilted to third, with the $3.40 equal favourite Ideal Tomado charging home from last at the bell to be an eye-catching fifth.
Alcopony, who ended a losing sequence of seven, has raced 40 times for ten wins, 12 placings and $104,617.