Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Paula Petricevich, a prominent veterinary nurse, has no regrets that she paid $7000 to buy a weanling filly by Sweet Lou in New Zealand in 2020.
She named her Candy Apple, who is developing into a smart pacer who boosted her earnings to $64,493 (from five wins and five placings from 24 starts) when she led and scored an easy win in the $21,000 BOTRA Season Membership Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Five-year-old Candy Apple, trained by Michael Munro and driven by Toby Lynn, was the $2.90 favourite who set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and won by two lengths from Sweet Vivienne, another Sweet Lou five-year mare, bred and owned by Petricevich.
Candy Apple gave her rivals little chance when she dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 28.4sec. She rated a smart 1.57.5.
Sweet Vivienne, trained and driven by Chris Voak, was a $26 outsider from out wide at barrier eight, and she produced a splendid performance to fight on gamely after racing three wide early and then in the breeze.
Petricevich bought Candy Apple because she was a half-sister to Bettor B Believer, a pacer she had purchased from New Zealand who showed great promise in WA when one of his best performances was his third behind Jack Mac and Cott Beach in the Group 1 Golden Slipper in July 2017.
Bettor B Believer fractured a leg as a four-year-old and was unable to continue racing after his 33 starts had produced eight wins, 14 placings and $78,735. Bettor B Believer and Candy Apple are out of the unraced Mach Three mare Rearmachable.
“Candy Apple has been a good horse for me, but she has made me earn it,” said Munro. “She suffers from horse asthma. She has allergies and is no good in the summer with all the dust when she gets hay fever and wheezes.
“She is starting to get up in grade, and we will see how she goes.”