Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr was seen at his brilliant best at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he guided Prince Of Pleasure to a splendid victory in the $50,000 Retravision Winter Cup.
Not only was it Hall’s ninth success in the Group 3 feature event, it gave his father Gary Hall Snr, a remarkable eleventh training success in the race, and showed that Prince Of Pleasure would go into the $450,00 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup on November 10 with sound prospects of giving Hall Snr his 14TH victory in the big race.
Prince Of Pleasure was the $2.90 equal favourite with the polemarker The Code Breaker on Friday night, with Kyle Symington setting a modest pace with The Code Breaker and Hall quickly getting Prince Of Pleasure to relax in third place, three back on the pegs.
Patronus Star ($3.60) was trapped three wide early, before Deni Roberts restrained him back to last in the field of eight before she dashed him forward 1350m from home to move to the breeze and have Prince Of Pleasure locked away on the pegs.
Hall then made his winning move with a lap to travel when he when was able, with delicate skill, to ease Prince Of Pleasure off the pegs and to occupy the one-out, one-back position, following Patronus Star.
Hall then bided his time and he waited until 220m from home when he switched Prince Of Pleasure three wide. Patronus Star finished with a powerful burst but found Prince Of Pleasure just too good after a far more comfortable passage. Prince Of Pleasure sprinted over the final 400m in 27.5sec. and won by 2m, rating 1.59 over the 2536m.
Prince Of Pleasure, a lightly-raced six-year-old by Bettors Delight, has earned $167,774 from 13 wins and six placings from 30 starts.
Roberts was delighted at the performance of Patronus Star, saying: “It was a big run, he was awesome.”