Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Five-year-old Blaze On, an up-and-coming star of WA harness racing, is destined to be given the opportunity to display his talent in America, according to his trainer Michael Young.
The New Zealand-bred Blaze On gave another powerful performance to win the $23,000 Vale Pat Duncan Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, with his most recent eight starts producing four wins and three seconds.
“His long-term future looks to be in America,” said Young. “We will be looking to sell him to America at some stage, and it could be pretty soon.
“But we will keep him racing while he is in good form. But you can’t keep sending him around from a wide barrier every week. Under the pref.-draw conditions he keeps drawing out wide, and if you keep racing him from wide barriers you will finish up with no horse left.
“He is pretty strong, and the American style of racing should suit him. We should get reasonable money for him.”
Blaze On won once from four starts in New Zealand, and his WA record of eleven wins and eight placings from 33 starts has improved his record to 37 starts for 12 wins, eight placings and $111,601 in prizemoney.
He is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is out of Victors Delight, who earned $132,023 from 14 wins and 13 placings from 61 starts.
Blaze On, the $1.60 favourite from the outside barrier on the front line, was sent forward, three wide, soon after the start by Gary Hall Jnr to race in the breeze outside the pacemaker Pocket The Change ($9.50). He surged to the front with about 400m to travel and won by a length from Soho Moonraker, rating 1.56.6 after a final 400m of 27.9sec.
“It took longer than we wanted to get to the breeze, but he relaxed and did a good job,” said Hall.