Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Hard-pulling pacer Master Publisher completed a treble for master trainer Gary Hall Snr when he revealed plenty of toughness to score a fighting victory in the 2130m Sky Racing Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Hall had been successful earlier in the 11-event program with Euphoria and Hes Never Been Beta.
Master Publisher, an $11 chance from barrier five, worked hard in the breeze for most of the 2130m journey and simply outstayed the $1.85 favourite Ima Rockabilly Rebel, who finished doggedly after racing three wide for the first circuit and then enjoying an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position.
Maddison Brown, who was driving Master Publisher for the first time, found that the New Zealand-bred five-year-old was a bit of a handful, saying: “He was pretty keen and pulling a bit. I worked forward because he wasn’t giving me much of an option.”
Master Publisher, who was unplaced at his three New Zealand starts in Group 2 and 3 events early in 2019, has now had 35 starts in WA for ten wins and six placings and has earned $75,571.
He is by A Rocknroll Dance and is the eighth foal out of the unraced Badlands Hanover mare Neverland Franco, whose full-sister Nearea Franco had 34 starts for 11 wins, 11 placings and $441,405. She won the $200,000 Four-Year-Old Diamond at Cambridge in May 2008, the Group 1 Queen Of Hearts at Alexandra Park in December 2008, the Group 2 Kaikoura Cup in November 2009 and a group 3 Free-For-All at Addington in November 2010. Later, she produced the brilliant Nike Franco, who raced 83 times for 32 wins, 19 placings and stakes of $913,870.