Ken Casellas | Race Replay
Ekara Navajo, a comparatively inexperienced five-year-old mare, showed she has the ability to win more city races when she set the pace and scored an easy victory in the $21,000 HTA Setting New Standards In Hoisting Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Fly Like An Eagle pacer was not extended in leading from the No. 4 barrier and setting a moderate early pace before finishing solidly to give star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr the third leg of a treble, after winning earlier in the program with Mighty Ronaldo and Ideal Beach to take his season’s tally of winners to 131.
Ekara Navajo, trained by Corey Peterson, was the $3.80 second favourite, with the Dylan Egerton-Green-trained Rebline a well-supported $2.65 favourite.
“The lead time (37.9sec.) was pretty soft and she dropped the bit well,” said Hall after Ekara Navajo had defeated $51 outsider Air Marshall by just over a length, rating 1.59.8 after final quarters of 28.8sec. and 29.5sec.
Sweet Ivy ($11) was third after being tenth at the bell and running home strongly out six wide on the track. Rebline fought on from ninth with a lap to go to finish fifth.
Ekara Navajo has had 26 starts for five wins, seven placings and $43,639. She is the first foal out Lil Miss Lisla, who raced 42 times for seven wins, ten placings and stakes of $33,380. She is related to former smart performers Black And Blue (66 starts for 17 wins, 21 placings and $212,495) and No Blue Manna (105 starts for 41 wins, 25 placings and $628,157).