Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Mardella trainer Michael Young and champion reinsman Gary Hall got away to a flying start at Gloucester Park on Friday night, scoring convincing wins in the opening two events.
They were successful with Blaze On ($4.10) in the $25,000 Bobby Breadcarter Summer Series final and Illawong Mustang ($1.20) in the $23,000 Summer Series NR Up to 60 final.
Five-year-old Blaze On is getting better with every start and he proved too good for the $1.55 favourite Gully Gum, who set the pace from the No. 1 barrier before being overhauled 65m from the post and being beaten by a half-length, with Blaze On rating a smart 1.55.5 over 2130m after final 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 28.6sec.
“In his first few starts for me he galloped or got posted three deep for the journey,” said Young. “He hasn’t had much racing luck, but now he is making his own luck. I think he will go better when he draws well and finds the front. He is running exceptional times in the breeze, and they run faster when they find the rails.”
Gully Gum ran a quick lead time of 36.3sec. before going through the opening quarters in 30sec. and 29.7sec. Blaze On settled in eighth position before Hall sent him forward with a three-wide burst after 600m to move to the breeze.
“From the 600m Blaze On always felt he had the leader beaten, even when that horse found a length on the home bend,” said Hall. “He got home quite comfortably. It’s good that Michael has found the key to him, and he has finally got him going like the horse he probably hoped for when he first took him over.”
Blaze On won once from four New Zealand starts, and his 28 WA starts have produced nine wins and six placings. He is by Sweet Lou and is the third foal out of Victors Delight, who earned $130,523 from 14 wins and 13 placings from 61 starts. Victors Delight’s younger full-sister Utmost Delight has had 29 starts for ten wins, nine placings and $256,802.
Eight-year-old Illawong Mustang made it a one-act affair when he was the $1.20 favourite who set the pace from the No. 3 barrier and dashed home over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 25sec. to beat $7 second fancy Sea Fury, who led early and then trailed the pacemaker.
“I think he has another couple of wins in him,” said Young, who has prepared the Victorian-bred gelding for his past five starts for three wins, one second and one fourth placing to boost his career record to 128 starts for 14 wins, 27 placings and $164,776. His dam Light In Every Day raced 72 times for eleven wins, 32 placings and $129,255.