Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Seven-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding Lord Rosco is a noted frontrunner who went into the 2130m Dylan’s Still Running For Noah George Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night as the anticipated pacemaker, having scored all-the-way wins at 12 of his 16 victories.
But the best laid plans do not always come to fruition. Despite star reinsman Gary Hall’s urgings, Lord Rosco was unable to get to the front in the early stages of the race.
Trainer Lisa Walton had changed the gelding’s gear and fitted a compression hood in the firm desire for the gelding to be sharp at the start and able to burst into the lead.
Lord Rosco began swiftly from barrier five but was unable to wrest the lead from the $2.60 favourite Rebel With A Grin, who surged to the front from barrier three for reinsman Kyle Symington.
Momentarily, Lord Rosco was left in the breeze before Hall was able to get the gelding to the pegs, trailing the frontrunning Rebel With A Grin.
Lord Rosco was hemmed in on the pegs until the home turn when Hall got him into the clear. Dylan Egerton-Green then sent Triroyale Brigade ($6.50) to the front with 130m to travel, but he was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Lord Rosco, who got to the front in the final 15m and beat Triroyale Brigade by a half-length, with Rebel With A Grin finishing a well-beaten third.
Lord Rosco was having his second start for Walton, who races the gelding on lease from Albert Walmsley. The win took Lord Rosco’s record to 58 starts for 17 wins and 17 placings for earnings of $122,354.
“I was hoping that Lord Rosco would lead,” said Walton. “But it didn’t happen. Gary drove a very good race.”