Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop continued his outstanding run of successes with five-year-old Hold That Gold when he won the Trotsynd Supports JP Pacing Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night in a thrilling three-way photo finish.
But the victory did not come without some anxious moments in the home straight when the pacemaking Hold That Gold, the $2.30 favourite, appeared to falter in the final few strides after appearing certain to win easily when he was a clear leader on the home turn.
“He switched off as though he was looking for some friends,” explained driver Deni Roberts. “But when he saw them, he picked up and went again.”
The photo finish revealed that Hold That Gold had won by a head from $16 chance Sellune, with Nickys Son ($14) a nose away in third place.
Hold That Gold revealed his customary sparking gate speed to burst straight to the front from the No. 4 barrier, and then he led comfortably from the hard-pulling $151 outsider Sky Eagle in the breeze.
Marengo Bay, the $2.70 second favourite, raced in the one-out, one-back position until he began a three-wide burst with 900m to travel. He quickly moved to the breeze but broke into a bad gallop 450m from home and he dropped back to finish sixth in the field of seven.
“Hold That Gold will now have a fortnight off,” said Mellsop, who said that the gelding’s gate speed was his main asset.
Hold That Gold won at three of his 28 starts in Victoria before arriving in Western Australia where his 17 starts for Mellsop have produced nine wins and four seconds to take his career record to 45 starts for 12 wins, nine seconds and two thirds for stakes of $100,618. He is by American sire Angus Hall and is out of Hold That Grin, who finished second in the New South Wales Trotters Oaks at Menangle in May 2012 before being retired with earnings of $27,813 from three wins and ten placings from 24 starts.