Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Cheer The Major is not the most tractable pacer. During his preliminary before the Trotsynd Syndications Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night he attempted to run out of the course gate, and he repeated the misdemeanour after wining the event, keeping his driver Emily Suvaljko on her toes.
It was a change of gear suggested by Suvaljko to trainer Gary Elson which played a major role in the seven-year-old’s success.
“I told Gary I wanted the blocks back on,” explained Suvaljko. “We had taken them off to try to get him to be more genuine. Out in front when he was blocked up, he couldn’t see the other horses and he wasn’t letting me to get him away from them. He is a better rolling type than he is at walking and sprinting.
“We had the pull-downs on him and now we have the pull-ups. I wanted the blocks for the start, and then pull them up. With a lap to go tonight after I got a breather, I pulled them up so he could see the other horses.”
This did the trick and Cheer The Major, the $3.50 second fancy, raced soundly in front and won by 2m from $41 outsider Our Star Watch, who fought on grimly after working hard in the breeze. Dominus Factum, the $2.10 favourite, was smartest to begin from barrier five but was unable to cross to the front. He trailed the pacemaker and battled on to finish a well-beaten third.
Cheer The Major has had 53 starts for six wins, 21 placings and $64,321. He is the first foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Cheer The Lady, who won the group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Addington in May 2012 and the group 1 Breeders Crown for three-year-old fillies at Melton later that year.