Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Six-year-old Mea Culpa won at eight of his 77 Victorian starts, and he has blossomed under Ravenswood trainer Nathan Turvey’s care, with his first 14 starts in Western Australia producing seven wins and five placings for stakes of $56,099.
Mea Culpa, described by Turvey as “just an all-round good horse, a good frontrunner and good from the breeze,” was the $1.60 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 2130m APG Industry Owned, Not For Profit Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Kyle Symington took Mea Culpa straight to the front, and after a slow lead time of 38.2sec. the gelding set a solid pace with quarters of 30.2sec., 29.5sec., 28.2sec. and 28.4sec. to win by a neck from $7.50 chance Jett Star, who fought on with wonderful determination after racing three wide early and then in the breeze for two laps.
Mea Culpa rated 1.56.7 and improved his record to 91 starts for 15 wins, 30 placings and stakes of $120,340.
“Kyle said he was a bit lazy tonight,” said Turvey. Mea Culpa, a gelding by Art Major, has certainly inherited some of the brilliance of his maternal granddam, the WA-bred Innocent Eyes, who amassed $421,875 in prizemoney from 18 wins and 17 placings from 62 starts. Her major victories were in the Australian Oaks at Moonee Valley in July 2005 and the Chariots Of Fire at Harold Park in January 2006.
Mea Culpa was the first leg of a training double for Turvey, who scored with Benji later in the program. Turvey kept up the good work at Northam on Saturday night when he trained and drove a double, scoring with Franco Western ($1.60) and My Little Big Man ($1.20).
Symington also maintained his excellent form at Northam, winning with Heez A Vibe ($1.70), Tiger Royal ($2.10) and Acuto ($2).