Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New South Wales-bred pacer Machs Bettor has struck a purple patch, and he notched his fourth win from his five starts in his current campaign when he scored a thrilling upset victory over his brilliant stablemate Swingband in the 2130m Gary And Sue Craik Pace for three-year-olds at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell had three runners in the $20,250 event — Machs Bettor, Swingband and Whataretheodds — and he just failed to land the trifecta, with Whataretheodds finishing a close fourth, just behind the third placegetter, Maungatahi.
Swingband, a winner of eleven races, was the $1.40 favourite from the No. 3 barrier. Machs Bettor was the third fancy at $7.40 from the No. 1 barrier, and he was the smartest to begin and led for the first 400m before Michael Grantham urged Swingband forward to take up the running.
“My plan was to lead with Machs Bettor,” said reinsman Kyle Symington. “But when Michael Grantham pulled the stick, I decided to take the sit.”
Bell, who drove Whataretheodds (who started from the inside of the back line), said: “I was pretty confident that if Machs Bettor led or sat behind Swingband he would be hard to beat. I left the tactics up to Kyle, and I think he went for the safer option.”
Swingband sprinted over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.1sec. but he just failed to deliver the goods, being beaten a half-head by Machs Bettor, who was eased off the pegs 230m from home and sprinted fast to gain a last-stride victory, rating 1.56.7.
Swingband and Whataretheodds will be set for the $100,000 Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings next Friday night. Machs Bettor is not eligible for this event, and his main mission this season is the $200,000 WA Derby on November 4.
Bell said that Swingband was big in condition on Friday night and that he was confident the gelding would be fitter and would run a big race next Friday night.
Machs Bettor, who has raced 16 times for five wins and two placings for stakes of $33,538, is the first foal out of the unraced mare Machthreewishes, whose full-brother San Carlo has amassed $578,800 from 30 wins and 13 placings from 67 starts.
San Carlo, who won a 2536m heat of the Interdominion championship at Gloucester Park late in 2017 when he defeated Soho Tribeca and Lennytheshark, is a Cups specialist, having won eight Cup events on Victorian country tracks between 2017 and 2019.