Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr simply enjoyed a stroll in the park when he guided star mare Eighteen Carat to an easy win in the 2130m Memorial Day Stakes at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Eighteen Carat’s win gave Hall his fourth success in this event, following wins with John Of Arc (2015) and Whozideawasthis (2018 and 2021).
Eighteen Carat, prepared by Mundijong trainer Michael Young, was the $1.20 favourite from the No. 1 barrier and she was never under any pressure as she had a leisurely stroll in the lead, with a dawdling lead time of 38.7sec. and slow opening quarters of 32.6sec. and 30.3sec. before finishing with 400m sections of 29sec. and 27.9sec.
She rated a slow 1.59.9 and defeated stablemate and $12 chance Firerockfireroll by a length, with Blitzembye ($23) running on from last at the bell in the field of five to finish a neck away in third place.
Eighteen Carat, a winner of five races in New Zealand, has flourished under Young’s care and her 16 starts in WA have produced ten wins and three placings to take her career record to 54 starts for 15 wins, nine placings and stakes of $309,341.
Eighteen Carat is sure to prove hard to topple when she contests the $50,000 WASBA Breeders Stakes over 2130m next Friday night.