Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred six-year-old Make It Happen ended a sequence of five unplaced runs and broke through for his first metropolitan-class win when he proved too strong for his six rivals in the 1730m Direct Trades Supply Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Young Blythewood trainer Corey Peterson sent Make It Happen, a $8.70 chance, forward from the No. 6 barrier to race outside the pacemaker and $2.30 favourite Regal Cheval before the Somebeachsomewhere gelding began to overrace.
“It was a weaker race for him and a small field, so I decided to drive him positively,” said Peterson. “The plan was to go forward and roll along. But he got keen, and I just had to go with him to make sure he didn’t choke down.”
After a 27.6sec. second quarter, the pace slackened and the final 400m sections were run in 28.7sec. and 31sec. Make It Happen won comfortably at a 1.55.7 rate from the $2.60 second fancy Little Suzie, who fought on gamely after enjoying a pegs run throughout.
Make It Happen was bred and is owned by Bob Fowler, and the gelding is the sixth winner out of the unraced Blissfull Hall mare World Peace. He now has had 61 starts for 12 wins, 18 placings and $83,210.
Fowler then enjoyed Troopingofthecolor’s victory at $13.10 in the $35,000 Northam Cup on Saturday night. Troopingofthecolor, bred and owned by Fowler and trained and driven by Chris Voak, raced three back on the pegs before finishing strongly to beat Fivestar General. Troopingofthecolor has earned $91,710 from his eleven wins and 18 placings from 63 starts.