Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Promising reinsman Liam Elliott celebrated his 19TH birthday at Gloucester Park on Friday night in style with a patient drive to land Whataretheodds a thrilling final-stride winner by a nose in the $23,000 Michael Holtham Pace over 2130m.
Elliott, having his second drive on Whataretheodds, originally planned to get Whataretheodds away to a flying start in a bid for an all-the-way win.
“But I talked with Ryan (trainer Ryan Bell) during the week when it was decided not to burn him off the gate,” said Elliott.
Whataretheodds was the $2.30 favourite from the No. 4 barrier, and he settled down eighth position in the one-wide line while the polemarker and $8.50 chance Twobob Cracker was setting a brisk pace with a lead time of 36.1sec. opening quarters of 29.6sec. and 29.4sec.
Whataretheodds was seventh at the bell and Elliott bided his time before setting Whataretheodds alight with a three-wide burst with about 500m to travel. Whataretheodds sustained a powerful run out wide to get up and beat $9.50 chance Cams Boulder after that pacer had taken a narrow lead 50m from the post after having trailed the pacemaker all the way.
“I wasn’t sure we had beaten Cams Boulder,” said Elliott. “Around the corner I was hoping to keep him in a pocket but was unable to do so. In the end it was the speed of Whataretheodds that got him over the line.
“After winning my first metro-class race the previous week with Swagger Man, to get two in the space of a week was very special for me.”
Whataretheodds, a five-year-old by American sire Betting Line, has been a consistent performer who has earned $168,234 from ten wins and 15 placings from 40 starts, with Bell explaining that the gelding had been a problem for most of his career.
“He has run some good races, and this was a drop in grade,” he said. “We have got to take the wins when they come because there is always something wrong with him. He suffers from a permanent worm burden. Worms are stuck to his intestines, and nothing can cure this problem.
“So, we have to manage him, and he goes on a special diet, without any starch in his feed.”