Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Master reinsman Gary Hall Jnr notched his 200TH winner for the season when he drove Western Arterra to an easy all-the-way victory in the 1730m www.summitbloodstock.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was his fourth double century season, and he has driven more than one hundred winners in the past 18 seasons.
Western Arterra, trained by Corey Peterson, was the $2.20 favourite and Hall used the six-year-old’s sparkling gate speed to burst straight to the front from the No. 3 barrier. After a slick lead time of 7.6sec. Western Arterra ambled through the opening quarters of the final mile in 30.9sec. and 32.3sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 29.1sec. and 28sec. to win at a 1.59 rate by just over a length from $6 chance Little Bit Of Fun, who trailed the leader throughout.
“He got away with it with a 63sec. half over a mile, and you don’t get that too often,” said Hall.
Peterson was happy with the gelding’s performance, saying: “He’s at his best over a mile. There’s another 1730m event next Friday night, so I’ll run him again.”
Western Arterra has raced over 1730m three times for two wins and a very close second. He is by American stallion Western terror and is the second foal out of the Falcon Seelster mare Cassidy Franco, who had four unplaced starts in WA in 2011 and 2012 before being retired. Western Arterra has now earned $86,226 from ten wins and 21 placings from 69 starts.