Alta Blues was an immature youngster with plenty of problems. But he has blossomed into a quality four-year-old who impressed with a runaway victory in the 2536m Footy Friday At JP’s Sportsbar Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The giant Alta Christiano gelding showed his set for bigger and better things when he started the $1.60 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and set the pace before racing away to win by four lengths at a 1.56.8 rate from the fast-finishing $61 chance The Stars Above.
It was a highly encouraging effort for the Gary Hall Senior-trained pacer at his second appearance after a 19-week absence. He also impressed his driver Gary Hall Jnr, who said: “When he was an early three-year-old he couldn’t run a 35sec. quarter without breaking up. It’s amazing that he’s now got a 27-second quarter in him.
“I was a bit disappointed with his first-up run (a fading sixth behind Parmesan two weeks earlier). But he is a big gross horse, and I knew he would benefit from the run. His work the other day was really good and I was pretty confident.
“He touched the wheels a couple of times and got pulling on me. That was a bit of a worry and I felt that if he was still a bit unders he was going to be found wanting.”
Alta Blues has had only 14 starts for seven wins and three placings for earnings of $53,884. He is out of the Canadian mare Child From The Sea, who had 36 starts for seven wins, six placings and $34,647. Child From The Sea is an older sister to former American champion pacer Somebeachsomewhere, who amassed $3,328,755 from 20 wins and one placings from just 21 starts before becoming an outstanding stallion.
by Ken Casellas