Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Veteran pacer Luvbite, who arrived in WA early this year with a losing sequence of 31, continued his remarkable rise to the top when he surged home from last to score a superb victory in race and track record time in the $30,000 Westside Auto Marathon Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Driven confidently by Gary Hall Jnr, the seven-year-old Luvbite smashed the 3309-metre record, rating 1.58.9 which bettered the 1.59.4 recorded by ten-year-old gelding Rocket Reign when he was the co-backmarker off 40m and finished powerfully from tenth at the bell to win by six lengths from fellow backmarker This Time Dylan in August 2014.
Rocket Reign, trained by Debbie Padberg, ended a losing sequence of 22 when he won the Marathon as a $11.20 chance. He then was unsuccessful at his following 36 starts before being retired.
Interestingly, Mrs Padberg’s husband John is one nine part-owners of the Michael Young-trained Luvbite, who appears certain to improve his record which stands as an impressive 163 starts for 21 wins, 59 placings and $331,685 in prizemoney.
Luvbite was the sole backmarker off 50m and the $4.80 third favourite on Friday night, with Hall saying: “I thought that with his closing speed and over the long trip he was going to be hard to beat.”
Hall wisely conserved Luvbite’s energy by allowing the gelding to relax in twelfth and last place on the pegs while Captains Creek, the $4.60 second fancy, was racing fiercely in the lead.
Stormy Vista, a stablemate of Luvbite and the $4.30 favourite, broke briefly in the early stages and settled down in tenth position before dashing forward after 650m to move to the breeze.
Hall eased Luvbite off the pegs with about 900m to travel and then gained a perfect run, out three wide, following $7.50 chance Brookies Dream’s spirited burst from the rear.
Brookies Dream went four wide 350m from home, and Luvbite was switched five wide approaching the home turn before getting to the front 130m from the post and winning by a neck from Brickies Dream, with $41 chance Machnificent coming from eleventh at the bell with a splendid late burst to finish a half-length farther back in third place.
The victory gave Hall a record sixth success in the Marathon, following wins with Im Themightyquinn (2010), Code Red (2012), Runrunjimmydunn (2019), Rebel With A Grin (2020) and Youre So Fine (2023).
“Luvbite was a bit fortunate that there was plenty of tempo up front, which helped him,” said Young, who is hoping that the veteran pacer will qualify for a start in the $450,000 WA pacing Cup over 2536m on December 11.
“We plan to run him in all the lead-up races before the Pacing Cup,” he said.
Luvbite arrived in WA early this year and won first-up, rating 1.56.3 over 2130m At Gloucester Park on April 3 before disappointing with unplaced at his four following starts.
“Extra work has proved the secret of his success,” explained Young. “After his first-up win his form went right off, and it was then that we decided to up his work, and he hasn’t stopped winning since.
“Initially, we were just jogging him between his races before we found that he needed fast work between his races. And he has thrived on having a hoppled workout on the Tuesday before he races on the Friday.” Luvbite has now raced 16 times in WA for eight wins and two placings.