Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Astute trainer Kim Prentice shook his head and declared Franco Ecuador’s magnificent victory in the 2130m Trotsynd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night was simply awesome.
“To run that time and do it so easily, I’m ecstatic,” said Prentice. “I’ll even be happier when I get up in the morning and see that his legs are all good.”
Franco Ecuador, a New Zealand-bred gelding by A Rocknroll Dance, was making only his eleventh appearance in a race after a couple of injuries had threatened his career and had forced him to have two extended breaks from racing while recovering.
Franco Ecuador still has screws in his off-side rear pastern which he fractured as a three-year-old just after he had finished third behind Patronus Star and Major Martini in the WA Derby in April 2020.
He resumed racing after a 21-month absence, when he had three starts for a first-up second to Ima Fivestar General and two wins in February 2022. He then damaged his off-fore suspensory ligament and had two years off the scene before he made his comeback with an effortless victory at Bunbury on February 3, followed by his run at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $1.30 favourite from barrier five and he ambled to the front after 500m before coasting out in front and reeling off final quarters of 28.5sec. and 27.8sec. and winning by three lengths from $71 outsider State Of Heaven, rating 1.54.7.
“He is just a very good horse,” said reinsman Mitch Miller. “He has all the ability, speed and toughness, and as long as he stays fit and healthy, we should be having a lot of fun with him.”
Franco Ecuador’s win continued Prentice’s wonderful start to the 2024 season with his 24 starters providing him with twelve wins, six seconds and one third placing.
Prentice said that Franco Ecuador and his elder half-brother Franco Edward had spent a long time recuperating from injuries by enjoying life in the country air at Bridgetown.
Franco Ecuador now has had eleven starts for seven wins, two placings and stakes of $70,702, while Franco Edward has raced only 18 times for 11 wins, five placings and $221,468, with his victories including Group 1 features the Pearl Classic (beating Shockwave) and the Golden Slipper (beating Bletchley Park) in the winter of 2018.
Prentice brought both pacers back from Bridgetown to his Blythewood stables four or five months ago, but, unfortunately, Franco Edward went amiss about six or seven weeks ago, re-injuring a tendon he damaged as a three-year-old.
“Franco Edward is now completely retired,” said Prentice. “He had more speed than Franco Ecuador, who has more staying ability. If Franco Ecuador stays sound, he will go a good way.”