Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr achieved a notable milestone at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he landed a treble to take his season’s tally to 266 winners, a West Australian record.
The previous record of 264 winners was set by Chris Voak in 2019-20 when that season was a one-off season of 16 months.
Hall’s winners on Friday night were Crowd Control, Evas Image and Firerockfireroll, and he followed up with a double at Northam on Saturday night when he was successful with three-year-olds Beach Captain and Colorado Banner.
Evas Image was the $1.80 favourite in the $21,000 The Twinkly Tinsel Trot, a stand over 2503m in which she started from the inside barrier on the front line. She began smoothly and led all the way before beating the 40-metre co-backmarker Patched, the $6 second favourite, who ran home strongly from fourth (one-out and one-back) at the bell to finish only a metre from the winner.
“It was a super run by Evas Image,” said trainer Michael Young. “She copped a lot of pressure and should’ve got beaten, really. And she deserved to win.
“She will be set for the $31,000 Trotters Sprint on January 19 and the $50,000 Trotters Cup on February 2.”
Four-year-old Evas Image has raced 19 times in WA for seven wins and ten placings, taking her record to 47 starts for 12 wins, 26 placings and stakes of $131,932.
Twenty-five minutes after Evas Image’s victory Young and Hall combined to win the $19,000 Team Bond Pace over 2130m with Firerockfireroll, the $2.40 second favourite, who took full advantage of the prized No. 1 barrier to lead all the way and win by a half-length from the $2.35 favourite Rupert Of Lincoln, who had a tough run in the breeze and fought on grandly.
Firerockfireroll hung inwards throughout, and Hall had to drive the six-year-old vigorously, particularly in the final lap. “I won’t have to go to the gym tomorrow,” said Hall after working so hard in the sulky.
“He was off the bit the whole way, but I knew he would keep going. And I knew that Rupert Of Lincoln would keep coming. Turning for home I thought he had me, but Firerockfireroll knuckled down and did his job.”
This was Firerockfireroll’s second win from 15 starts this season, but he has certainly paid his way, having had 50 starts for 14 wins and 12 placings for stakes of $166,843.
Another important milestone on Friday night was reinsman Trent Wheeler’s 500TH career victory, achieved when he drove The Righteous to victory in the Albany Stockfeeds Pace at Albany. That was the second leg of a bag of four winners for Wheeler, who also was successful with Ellucifer, Gota Good Warhol and Star Of Kaos. He also had two seconds and a third on a memorable night.
Wheeler kept up the good work at Northam on Saturday night when he was successful with the aptly-named Ya Bettor Follow Me, taking his season’s tally to 90 winners.
Then, at Northam on Saturday night Dylan Egerton-Green chalked up his 100TH win for the season when he drove the Colin Brown-trained Halle Hunter to a six-length victory over Ekara Navajo in a 2190m event for three-year-old fillies.