Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented pacer Eighteen Carat was produced in great shape for her first outing for eight weeks by Mundijong trainer Michael Young — and she delivered the goods in style with an impressive victory in the $50,000 Group 2 Cowden Insurance Schrader Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She was very good, first-up, and I think she is one of the best mares in the State,” said an enthusiastic Young. “Good draws in the big races will make life easy for her, and she can still win from bad draws.”
Eighteen Carat was the second fancy at $3.30 from barrier two on the back line, with the $3.20 favourite Fifty Five Reborn ideally drawn at the No. 1 barrier on the front line.
After a smart lead time of 36.4sec. Maddison Brown rated Fifty Five Reborn perfectly with quarters of 30.3sec., 29.8sec. and 28.5sec. before a final 400m of 30.2sec.
Eighteen Carat settled down in eighth position before Gary Hall Jnr started a three-wide move 1050m from home. Eighteen Carat moved to the breeze and Hall did not bustle her, instead rated her in the breeze to keep last-start winner and $14 chance Vivere Damore hemmed in on the pegs behind the pacemaker.
Hall sent Eighteen Carat to the front in the final 25m and won by a half-length from Fifty Five Reborn, with Vivere Damore getting clear late and flashing home into third place.
Eighteen Carat, a winner at five of her 38 New Zealand starts, has had seven starts for Young in WA for five wins and a third placing for stakes of $77,693 to boost her career earnings to $145,566.
She will be a leading contender for the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on Friday week and the $150,000 Mares Classic a fortnight later.Talented pacer Eighteen Carat was produced in great shape for her first outing for eight weeks by Mundijong trainer Michael Young — and she delivered the goods in style with an impressive victory in the $50,000 Group 2 Cowden Insurance Schrader Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She was very good, first-up, and I think she is one of the best mares in the State,” said an enthusiastic Young. “Good draws in the big races will make life easy for her, and she can still win from bad draws.”
Eighteen Carat was the second fancy at $3.30 from barrier two on the back line, with the $3.20 favourite Fifty Five Reborn ideally drawn at the No. 1 barrier on the front line.
After a smart lead time of 36.4sec. Maddison Brown rated Fifty Five Reborn perfectly with quarters of 30.3sec., 29.8sec. and 28.5sec. before a final 400m of 30.2sec.
Eighteen Carat settled down in eighth position before Gary Hall Jnr started a three-wide move 1050m from home. Eighteen Carat moved to the breeze and Hall did not bustle her, instead rated her in the breeze to keep last-start winner and $14 chance Vivere Damore hemmed in on the pegs behind the pacemaker.
Hall sent Eighteen Carat to the front in the final 25m and won by a half-length from Fifty Five Reborn, with Vivere Damore getting clear late and flashing home into third place.
Eighteen Carat, a winner at five of her 38 New Zealand starts, has had seven starts for Young in WA for five wins and a third placing for stakes of $77,693 to boost her career earnings to $145,566.
She will be a leading contender for the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on Friday week and the $150,000 Mares Classic a fortnight later.