An easy all-the-way triumph by Our Rhythm N Blues in the 2130m Flashpoint On Seven Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night gave champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr the first leg of a double and enabled him to stay on top of the national drivers’ premiership table.
Hall scored with Griffin Lodge in the final event to take his tally of wins for the season to 60 and hold the lead over Queensland’s Peter McMullen (56 wins) and Tasmanian Jack Laugher (47).
Our Rhythm N Blues, prepared by Gary Hall Snr, was a hot $1.30 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier and Hall enjoyed an armchair drive behind the pacemaker who strolled to victory over $26 chance Major Stare, who trailed the leader throughout. Space Junk ($31) fought on to finish third after working in the breeze for much of the way.
The seven-year-old New Zealand-bred Our Rhythm N Blues, a son of Rock N Roll Heaven, has been an honest performer throughout his 83-start career of 14 wins, 14 seconds and 14 thirds for stakes of $177,672.
By Ken Casellas