Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Serpentine trainer Giles Inwood feared that Franco Western would be unable to take his place in the www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace at Gloucester park on Friday night when he discovered the six-year-old caught up and tangled in a wire fence on his property on Wednesday morning.
“I was worried when I found his off-side foreleg over the fence,” Inwood said. “After I got him free, he galloped off. But when I went to work him, I saw that his leg was swollen and had jarred up.
“I haven’t been able to work him since then. I have taken him to the beach at Naval Base for the past three mornings where he has waded in the water. He enjoyed his time at the beach where he saw some seals and a whale, but fortunately there were no sharks.”
The swelling eventually subsided, and even though he had been unable to do any work on the track, Inwood was more than happy to start him on Friday night.
Franco Western was the $4.40 second fancy from the No. 1 barrier, with the New Zealand-bred four-year-old Hes Never Been Beta the $1.95 favourite from barrier seven.
Alta Rhett, a $26 chance, was smartest into stride from barrier two, with Franco Western following him, and with Frankie J Holden ($19) in the breeze. Hes Never Been Beta dashed forward after a lap, but his bid to move to the breeze was thwarted by Frankie J Holden overracing outside of Alta Rhett.
This left Hes Never Been Beta out on a limb, three wide, and Franco Western hemmed in behind the leader until Chris Voak was able to get him into the clear in the back straight. Franco Western then surged to the front 370m from home and the gelding won by a length from $101 outside Our Star Watch, with another length back to Alta Rhett in third place. Hes Never Been Beta faded to finish last.
The South Australian-bred Franco Western is by American sire Western Terror and is the fifth foal out of the unraced New Zealand mare Lucilla Franco. He has earned $68,889 from ten wins and 16 placings from 55 starts.
Part-owner Nathan Turvey prepared Franco Western for six country wins before offering him to Inwood in May last year. Inwood has given the gelding 24 starts for four wins and seven placings.