Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Five-year-old The Mustang remains unbeaten in Western Australia after he set the pace and held on to win by the barest possible margin in the 2130m Aylmore Classic Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Punters who had supported The Mustang, the $1.10 favourite, were besides themselves with considerable apprehension when $20 chance Theo Aviator flew home to join the pacemaker on the line. The photo finish revealed that The Mustang had scored by a nose.
This followed easy all-the-way victories at his two previous appearances for trainer Michael Young and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr on the two previous Friday evenings.
“I am very happy with him,” said Young. “He doesn’t go until he has something outside him. Ryan (Warwick) put the pressure on with Ideal Agent, with the quarter down the back in 27.5sec. The track was pretty slow, and that 400m would have been a high 26sec. on a normal night.
“Ideal Agent couldn’t hold on and run a place, while The Mustang held on and won. He will press on and, hopefully, earn a start in the Cups. He won’t race every week, and we’ll space his runs.”
Ideal Agent wilted slightly to finish fourth, while Theo Aviator, having his first start for 26 months, impressed with his powerful finishing burst after racing in the one-out, one-back position for much of the way.
The Mustang now has raced 68 times for 18 wins, 27 placings and $193,756.