Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Classy New Zealand-bred six-year-old Chal Patch, a disappointing sixth as a hot odds-on favourite a week earlier when racing first-up for six weeks, returned to top form with a thrilling last-stride victory in the second heat of the Nights Of Thunder, the WA Hall Of Fame Submissions Due Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chal Patch was a $15.50 chance from out wide at barrier No. 7 in the 1730m sprint event and he raced at the rear while Lamandier ($11) was overracing in front, with Goodfellaz ($4.60) in the breeze and fancied runners Crowd Control ($4.60) and All Is Well ($5.50) next in line, with the $2.50 favourite Solesseo Matuca enjoying a good run in the one-out, two-back position.
Chris Lewis sent All Is Well to the front with about 300m to travel. Chal Patch was eighth at the 400m before Kyle Symington switched him wide and brought him home with a powerful burst to snatch victory by a head from All Is Well, with Solesseo Matuca finishing solidly into third place.
Chal Patch rated 1.53.5 to qualify in first place for the nine-horse final over 1730m next Friday night. After fast opening quarters of 27.7sec. and 28.4sec. the final 400m sections were covered in 29.1sec. and 29sec.
Chal Patch and Solesseo Matuca are trained by Nathan Turvey, and he is looking forward to the final with plenty of confidence.
“I was hoping for improvement from Chal Patch after his sixth last week,” said Turvey. “I thought that there was either something wrong with the horse or that I didn’t have him fit enough,” he said.
” So, I went over him thoroughly and decided that if I did find anything I would take him to the vets. I kept looking but couldn’t find anything. I worked him on Wednesday morning and was really, happy with his work.
“I was stoked with the run of Solesseo Matuca. This first-up run will do him the world of good. We have had a couple of hiccups with him in the past couple of weeks. There were no major problems, but he missed two or three hoppled runs.”