Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented Victorian-bred five-year-old Bletchley Park is showing no signs of the tendon injury which forced him on to the sidelines for six months this year, and he is firmly on track to contest the rich Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups next January.
He followed his easy first-up all-the way win over 2536m two weeks ago with an impressive victory in the 2536m Fred Doy Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“I’m very pleased with him, also backing up off his good first-up win when he got really keen,” said Bunbury trainer Stephen Reed after Gary Hall jnr had driven the $3 favourite Bletchley Park to a neck victory over the pacemaker and $4.80 chance Ideal Liner.
“I was slightly concerned about how he would come through that first-up run. The signs since that run showed that he is fine, and I was glad to see him come out tonight and do it again and get the win.
“I think that stringing together two fast-class wins shows that leading into the feature races he’s got the form to really put his name up and get a start in the Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups. We don’t have that worry of trying to scramble at the last minute to get a run. Our plan is to try to not overrace him, and to space his runs.
“His next run will probably be in a fortnight.” However, Reed could well be tempted to run Bletchley Park in the $50,000 Mount Eden Sprint next Friday night.
Bletchley Park finished fourth behind Chicago Bull, Shockwave and Vampiro in the Mount Eden Sprint 12 months ago before he finished fourth behind Chicago Bull, Galactic Star and Shockwave in the Fremantle Cup and then started from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the WA Pacing Cup in which he raced at the rear and finished last.
“Bletchley Park hasn’t had any flare-ups and hasn’t shown any signs of the tendon issues which caused him to have an extended stay away from the track,” said Reed. “It’s fingers crossed that he stays sound.”
Bletchley Park started out wide at barrier seven on Friday night when he raced three wide for the first 450m and then in the breeze until he gained the one-out, one-back sit after a lap. A patient Hall waited until 250m from home before switching Bletchley Park three wide at the 250m mark. He burst to the front in the final 40m and won in good style after the final 800m weas covered in 57sec. This took Bletchley Park’s record to 52 starts for 18 wins, 20 placings and $348,462 in stakes.