Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New Zealand-bred six-year-old Glenledi Chief, a model of consistency, earned a start in the $50,000 Pinjarra Cup on March 6 when he scored a fighting victory in the 2536m Barbagallo Land Rover Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Glenledi Chief, trained by Greg and Skye Bond and the $3.60 second favourite, settled down in sixth position, and Gary Hall Jnr had no hesitation in vacating the one-out, one-back position to move to the breeze in the first lap, with Hampton Banner setting a modest pace.
With Glenledi Chief in the breeze, the $2.50 favourite Sangue Reale was hemmed in behind the leader, with Handsandwheels ($5) following Sangue Reale.
After a swift 27.8sec. third 400m section, Glenledi Chief finished determinedly to get to a narrow lead in the final stages. He hung out, and Aiden De Campo was able to bring Handsandwheels home with a fast burst between horses to figure in an extremely close photo finish.
Glenledi Chief was declared the winner by a nose, rating 1.58.2 after a final quarter of 28.5sec. Hampton Banner was third, with Sangue Reale, hampered for room, finishing fourth.
“Glenledi Chief’s run a week earlier (when second to Patronus Star) was huge,” said Hall. “You have to time his finishing burst,” said Hall. “Once he puts his head in front he shuts off. I learnt my lesson last week. But the more you hold him back, the more he runs up the track.
“That created a gap, and I thought I just had to let him go and hope for the best. I thought I had been beaten, and when I saw my number go up, I was pleasantly surprised.”
Glenledi Chief, who is by American sire Well Said, is out of the Presidential Ball mare Its Forever Now, who raced 41 times for seven wins, 18 placings and $106,288. Glenledi Chief has earned $234,957 from 18 wins and 17 placings from 57 starts.