Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Lightly-raced veteran pacer Franco Ecuador has endured a chequered career, but he is still paying his way with a narrow win in the $31,000 Garrard’s Service With Integrity Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This followed an easy win at Pinjarra eleven days earlier, and it improved his record to 32 starts for eleven wins, seven placings and $137,080.
The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old won easily at his first two starts, as a three-year-old at Pinjarra in December 2019, before his stop-start career of four starts for one win in 2020, no appearances in 2021, three starts for two wins and a second in 2022, no starts in 2023, 13 starts for four wins and three placings in 2024, and ten starts in 2025 for two wins and two placings.
Franco Ecuador, trained by Kim Prentice, had two extended breaks from racing as he recovered from a fractured pastern as a three-year-old (after finishing third behind Patronus Star and Major Martini in the WA Derby) and a damaged off fore suspensory ligament later.
Franco Ecuador was the $1.90 favourite from barrier three on Friday night when he was smartest to begin in the six-horse field and then strolled through the lead time in 39.1sec. and was untroubled to saunter through the opening 400m sections in 30.9sec. and 29.5sec. before increasing the tempo with final quarters of 27.5sec. and 28.2sec.
He held on to win by a half-head from the $3.10 second favourite Spyglass, who charged home with a late burst after enjoying a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position for most of the way.
“Franco Ecuador is getting long in the tooth and is not the horse he once was,” said reinsman Mitch Miller. “He should have been able to win on the bridle tonight after what he got away with early.”
Originally, Franco Ecuador appeared to be facing a tough task against smart mare Montana Glory, but unfortunately, she was unable to contest the race after fractures in two of her legs ended her life earlier in the week.
“Montana Glory fractured her offside pastern during a workout at Gloucester Park on Wednesday morning,” said her trainer Mike Reed.
“We took her to the vet, and she had a pin inserted. But when she came out of the operation after the anaesthetic wore off, she panicked and ran backwards and fractured near nearside hind leg, and she couldn’t be saved.” Montana Glory had raced 41 times for nine wins, 14 placings and $159,197.