Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Captain Bligh, who managed two second placings from nine starts in New Zealand, has turned the corner since arriving in Western Australia where he has been untroubled to win at his first three starts, by a combined margin of 67 metres.
The son of American stallion Captaintreacherous was the $1.30 favourite from barrier three in the 2130m Allwood Stud Devoted To Breeding Excellence Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was driven confidently by Gary Hall Jnr to stroll to the front after 200m and then set the pace and win by just under three lengths from $16 chance Crowd Control.
Captain Bligh dashed over the final 400m sections in 27.9sec. and 28.3sec. and rated 1.56.2. This followed his 15-length win over 2185m at Pinjarra and his five-length victory over 2130m at Gloucester Park three days before his win on Friday night.
“He is definitely a WA Derby horse,” said trainer Gary Hall Snr, who is also preparing Mister Smartee, Im The Black Flash and Skylou for the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3.
“All three should perform well in the Derby, but Never Ending is something else, and no horse can beat him.”
Captain Bligh, bred and owned by Syd and Shona Brown, is out of the Washington VC mare Askmenow, who raced 49 times for ten wins, 12 placings and $112,344. She won once in Victoria and once in New South Wales before the Browns sent her to WA to be prepared by Hall Snr.
Askmenow’s eight wins in WA included two preludes of the WA Oaks before she finished fourth behind Frith in the final in May 2013. Captain Bligh’s four-year-old full-sister is Scarlet Ribbon, who had four starts for the Hall stable last year for four wins before breaking down.
Hall Snr is pleased with Captain Bligh’s progress, saying: “He was a bit of a handful early, but is getting better and better, and by the time the Derby comes he should be really firing.”
Catching the eye in Friday night’s race was another New Zealand-bred pacer Frisky Styx, who flooded home from eighth at the bell to finish third at his fourth race start — following wins at both of his New Zealand appearances and third at Northam at his Australian debut.