Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Smart WA-bred six-year-old Babyface Adda will be set for the $50,000 Bunbury Cup at Donaldson Park on March 26.
That’s the long-range plan for the Rich And Spoilt gelding, who is raced on lease by 28-year-old Boyanup trainer-reinsman Cody Wallrodt.
Wallrodt, the recently appointed vice-president of the Bunbury Harness Club, would dearly love to win the Bunbury Cup on the track where the gelding has raced four times for four victories.
Wallrodt drove a well-judged race in front to win the 2536m Derucci Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Babyface Adda ($3.20) fought off a determined last-lap challenge from the $2.40 favourite Gambit to beat that pacer by a neck, rating 1.58.9.
Gambit raced three wide for the first 400m before working in the breeze, with Babyface Adda sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 26.7sec., following modest quarters of 31sec. and 30.2sec.
“Babyface Adda is back to his best,” said Wallrodt. “I thought I got away with a fair bit, so I was pretty confident in running. In hindsight, I went a bit slow down the b ack (in the final lap) and once Gambit got on terms in the straight I was a bit worried. But Babyface Adda put his head down and made sure that Gambit didn’t get past him.”
Babyface Adda was had 72 starts for 16 wins, 17 placings and $208,493 in prizemoney. He is out of the Art Major mare Sonatina, a winner at three of her eight New Zealand starts before being placed at one of her four starts in WA in 2013. Sonatina is a half-sister to One Dream, who amassed $846,467 from 18 wins and five placings from 23 starts.