Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Trainer Michael Young was planning to send up-and-coming four-year-old Blaze Away to the spelling paddock after contesting the $23,000 www.horseandhound.com.au Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
But after Gary Hall Jnr had driven the WA-bred Sweet Lou gelding to a commanding victory, he is considering continuing the gelding’s current program which has yielded four wins and two third placings from six starts.
“I was going to spell him, but Junior (Hall) has recommended that I keep him racing while he is performing so well,” said Young. “I thought he was getting tired, and I was planning on giving him a spell. I’ll sleep on that now.”
Blaze Away was the $1.30 favourite from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line on Friday night and he worked hard, out three wide, before taking the lead from $101 outsider Alexandra Thegreat after 700m.
Blaze Away covered the final 800m in 57.4sec. and won by four lengths from $41 chance Gota Good Warhol, rating 1.56.7 to improve his record to six wins and six placings for stakes of $70,786 from 17 starts.
“He had to do a fair bit of work early, but he’s a little professional,” said Hall. “He just waited until I asked him to go forward. He is happy to drop the bit and pick up the bit whenever I like. It’s always hard if you go forward and they’re reefing and tearing, and you get left out there a bit longer than you would like.
“He has come a long way. I thought in his early two-year-old days he was going to be a really nice horse. But he lost his way a bit, and now Michael has got him going very well.”