Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Emerging star Golden Lode made amends for seconds at his two previous outings in rich Group 1 features, the $1.25 million Nullarbor slot race and the $300,000 Fremantle Cup, when he surged home from last in the middle stages to score an easy victory in the $50,000 Group 3 Allwood Stud Four and Five-Year-Old Championship over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His impressive win over the 2025 WA Derby champion Runkle Crunch gave further proof that he is set for further triumphs in major events and giving his owners Team Bond and co-trainers Greg and Skye Bond thoughts about setting him for the Interdominion Championship series at Brisbane’s Albion Park in July.
Five-year-old Golden Lode was the $2.60 second fancy behind the $2.50 favourite and his four-year-old stablemate Mad Monday.
Golden Lode was restrained from the No. 5 barrier, as was Mad Monday from barrier six, and the pair settled down in the last two positions as the well fancied $5.50 chance Sweet Pins won the start from the No. 1 barrier and sped over the lead time in 36.7sec. and the opening 400m section of the final mile in 28.8sec.
Kyle Symington set Golden Lode alight with a three-wide burst with 950m to travel, and Deni Roberts urged Mad Monday forward to follow his stablemate. The third quarter went by in 28.1sec. and was followed by a fast last 400m in 27.9sec.
Golden Lode burst to the front about 270m from home and he went on to win comfortably by a length from Runkle Crunch, who fought on determinedly after having raced three wide early and then in the breeze.
The winner rated a smart 1.55.1 and improved his record to 49 starts for 14 wins, 17 placings and $518,018 in prizemoney.
“Golden Lode has been racing super and has been versing the best,” said 24-year-old Symington. “You could say it was unfortunate that he was not the Nullarbor winner, and tonight he deserved his win. He was too classy and is capable of being driven that way.
“I wasn’t expecting that there was going to be that early speed and I was quite happy once we settled back in the field, with what was unfolding in the front. I was pretty happy down the back that we had the opposition covered.”
Mad Monday, a winner at his five previous starts, did not threaten danger and finished ninth, while $41 outsider and noted frontrunner Bettors Pride produced an outstanding effort to come from tenth at the bell with a sizzling five-wide burst to finish third.