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Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing

Outstanding Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice chalked up his fourth success in the $50,000 Cowden Ltd Empress Stakes in the space of seven years when Gary Hall Jnr guided Bettor Get It On to an easy all-the-way victory in the group 2 feature event for mares at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Bettor Get It On, a New Zealand-bred five-year-old and third favourite at $7.60, was not extended in beating the $1.95 favourite Savvy Bromac by just over a length, rating 1.57.6 over the 2536m to give Hall his third win in the race.

“She made up for all those seconds (eight at her 21 starts in Western Australia before she began from the prized No. 1 barrier on Friday night),” said Hall. “In most of those seconds Bettor Get It On had drawn outside the main danger, and tonight nothing really attacked us.

“She won pretty comfortably. Savvy Bromac, from the one-one position was the worry, so I got going about the 600m to try to flush her out and get her out of her comfort zone. I didn’t expect that we were able to hold her out as easily as we did.”

Chris Lewis, aiming to win the Empress Stakes for the ninth time, eased Savvy Bromac three wide 400m from home. The mare fought on doggedly but did not seriously challenge the winner, with the final quarters being run in 28sec. and 28.3sec. My Prayer ($31) impressed in finishing fast from tenth at the bell to be third, almost three lengths behind Savvy Bromac.

Prentice, who was in Melbourne to attend a supplementary yearling sale, had won the Empress Stakes with Major Reality (2016), The Parade (2017) and Pick My Pocket (2020). Hall’s previous winners were with Aussie Made Lombo (2013) and The Parade.

Bettor Get It On, who is by Bettors Delight, won twice from 15 New Zealand starts, and her 22 WA starts have produced six wins and eleven placings. She has now earned $104,013 from her eight victories.

She is the first foal out of the Art Major mare Its All On, a winner at two of her 12 starts in New Zealand.