Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Beth Richardson, Karen Hall, Danny Roberts and Sue Beven have no regrets at outlaying $30,000 to purchase Euphoria from New Zealand 15 months ago.
The four-year-old American Ideal gelding, who had managed just two placings from eight starts in minor events in New Zealand, has developed into a smart and consistent performer for ace trainer Gary Hall snr.
He boosted his earnings for his new owners to $81,436 when he produced a typical tough performance to win the Garrard’s Rio Cobra Sulky Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night. This took his WA record to 25 starts for ten wins, nine seconds and two thirds.
Euphoria is the first foal out of the McArdle mare Bliss, who was retired after two inconspicuous unplaced efforts as a three-year-old in 2014.
Euphoria was favourite at $2.90 on Friday night and Gary Hall jnr settled him down in seventh position in the one-wide line, and when the pace slackened after 650m Hall sent him forward, three wide, to race outside the pacemaker Alta Rhett.
Ryan Warwick tried to take the sting out of Alta Rhett’s rivals by urging the five-year-old to increase the tempo with a 28.2sec. third quarter of the final mile. But Euphoria stuck to his task and ground his way to the front with 250m to travel before winning by 2m from the fast-finishing Allwoods Rocknroll, who had enjoyed the sit behind the pacemaker all the way.
“He’s a nice little horse,” said a euphoric Hall snr.