Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Ravenswood trainer-reinsman Nathan Turvey, laid low on Thursday by an attack of coronavirus, was confined to bed on Friday night when he had to forego the drive behind his smart three-year-old Eton Rock in the David Evans Memorial Pace at Gloucester Park.
And Eton Rock, an $11.30 chance from barrier No. 2, provided Turvey with a perfect panacea by scoring a brilliant victory.
Turvey engaged Gary Hall Jnr to replace him in the sulky, and the star reinsman obliged by dashing Eton Rock straight to the front and dictating the terms on the way to winning by a length and a half from $13 chance Seven No Trumps, who fought on grandly after racing without cover all the way.
Eton Rock sprinted over the final quarters in 28.2sec. and 28.3sec. and rated 1.57.5 over the 2130m journey. The win took Eton Rock’s record to 22 starts for eight wins, seven placings and stakes of $52,303. He is by American sire Pet Rock and is the only foal produced by Modern Ville, who raced 31 times for four wins, ten placings and $26,413.
The victory gave Hall a flying start to the meeting and was the first of his four winners on the night.
“He went terrific tonight,” said Hall. “It was never the intention to lead (with the $2.65 favourite Speedwagon drawn barrier one and expected to set the pace). Speedwagon couldn’t get out of his own way at the start and Eton Rock got off the gate pretty keenly.”
Speedwagon trailed Eton Rock until Kyle Symington eased him off the pegs at the bell, forcing the $3.60 second fancy Mister Montblanc three wide. Mister Montblanc fought on gamely to finish third, while Speedwagon wilted to sixth.
With Turvey indisposed, his four horses engaged at Friday night’s meeting were under the care of Maddy Coles, who races Eton Rock in partnership with Turvey, Ben Irvine, Glenn Jordan and Michael Rowe’s Here There Everywhere Syndicate.
Eton Rock is only the second pacer raced by Irvine and Jordan, who were part-owners of Heavens Showgirl, a brilliant mare who had nine starts for the Turvey stable in WA in 2021 for five wins and one second placing before being sold to America where she has won at seven of her first 25 starts in the United States. Heavens Showgirl’s sister Modern Ville is the dam of Eton Rock.