Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred four-year-old High Price ended a losing sequence of seven when he overcame the disadvantage of starting from the outside of the back line and sprinted home strongly to score an easy victory in the 2130m Steelos Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $3.40 second favourite and was driven confidently by Maddison Brown, who quickly had him enjoying an ideal passage in sixth position, one-out and two-back, while the $2.35 favourite Flying Rumour was setting a moderate pace.
Cherishthememories ($4.60) raced in the breeze and got to the front with 350m to travel. Then Medieval Man ($14) took the lead 50m later but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing High Price, who began a three-wide burst at the 500m and hit the front 220m from the post.
High Price is prepared by Gary Hall Snr and was driven for the first time by Brown, a late replacement for the ill Gary Hall Jnr.
High Price is by Hall senior’s former champion pacer Alta Christiano and is the first foal out of the Grinfromeartoear mare Harriet Price, who won two minor events in New Zealand before racing eight times in WA for one placing, a nose second to Fay Darling at Bunbury in December 2016.
High Price, who was having his third start after a six-month absence, looks sure to improve on Friday night’s effort and his career record of 22 starts for five wins, seven placings and $46,535 in stakes.