Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Five-year-old Hold That Gold has exploded into the best form of his career in his latest preparation and is developing into an excellent candidate for the WA Trotters Cup in the summer.
The New South Wales-bred gelding, trained in Bunbury by Bob Mellsop, scored an easy win in the Vale Bill Duffy Trot, a 2503m stand t Gloucester Park on Friday night to improve his record in his current campaign to five starts for four wins and one second.
Mellsop, a master trainer of trotters, has won the WA Trotters Cup with The Beau Brummell in January 2014, and he has enjoyed great successes with square gaiters of the calibre of Dave Star (16 wins), Drop Of Gin (nine wins), Lord Liam (19 wins), Papa Razzi (12 wins), Baby Jack, Gee Invasion and Sammy Charles and others.
Hold That Gold, the $3 second favourite on Friday night, was smartest into stride from barrier four on the front line and he was untroubled to set the pace and coast to a two-length victory over Line The Starzzz ($15), with the $2.20 favourite Nickys Son in third place. He showed his sprinting ability by dashing over the final 400m in 28.4sec.
The win completed a treble for Roberts, who had won earlier in the night with Tenzing Bromac and Aardiebytheseaside.
Hold That Gold, raced by prominent owner Michael Boots, looks set to improve on his record of 37 starts for eight wins, nine placings and $59,744 in prizemoney.
“He is a nice trotter, and I should have a couple more ready to race in the Trotters Cup, including a newcomer Bohemian Rhapsody, a mare who has won at five of her 21 starts in New Zealand before being unplaced at her first five runs in Victoria,” said Mellsop.