Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Byford trainer-reinsman Donald Harper is enjoying a rich vein of form, and he landed a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night with seven-year-old pacers Starlight Dream and Apologize.
The widely travelled New South Wales-bred Apologize completed the double when he was a $26.10 outsider and scored an easy victory in the 2130m Jett And The Pirates Flag Pace.
Apologize, who was making his second appearance after an eight-month absence, began from barrier five and he raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, while $13 chance Sugar Apple was setting the pace after a fast lead time of 35.6sec.
Last-start winner Chillin was the $1.20 favourite who began well from the No. 4 barrier and led for the first 250m before Lindsay Harper sent Sugar Apple forward to take up the running, after that pacer had broken in the score-up and then revealed excellent pace to dash to the front.
Gary Hall Jnr took Chillin off the pegs to move to the breeze 700m after the start, and the four-year-old got to the front with 500m to travel. But Chillin wilted after his hard run, and Apologize, who got off the pegs 400m from home, then surged to the front 150m later on his way to winning by 5m from $20 chance Pierre Whitby, who was eighth at the bell before flying home, out five wide on the track.
“Apologize did a bit of damage to a front leg early in the year, so we turned him out,” said Harper. “He was a bit silly in the paddock and gave the leg a whack. It was nothing major. And now the stallion has put on a bit more weight and is looking well.”
Apologize is by Renaissance Man and is the 8TH foal out of Bovalai, who earned $18,663 from four wins and eight placings from 38 starts.
Apologize has raced 77 times for 11 wins, 24 placings and $66,555 in prizemoney. He was placed at his three runs in Victoria, and then had 13 starts in South Australia for three wins and five placings before arriving in Western Australia where his 61 starts have produced eight wins and 16 placings.
Harper continued his winning run at Kellerberrin on Sunday when he drove another double, scoring with $13.10 chance Flying To Win, owned and trained by Tony Allington, and the Hayden Reeves-trained mare Recover Lover ($4.20).