Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred six-year-old Middlepage was a slow learner who couldn’t pace as a two-year-old, according to trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper.
But the son of New Zealand-bred stallion Tintin In America is proving to be a handy performer who impressed when he finished with a spirited burst to win the 1730m Trotsynd Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He has been very slow maturing,” said Harper. “He had one start as a two-year-old (when he broke three times in running and was distanced in a race at Gloucester Park in February 2019). He couldn’t pace as a two-year-old, and as a three-year-old he still had trouble with his gait.”
Middlepage’s first win came at his tenth start in a race and he now has had 58 starts for 11 wins, 16 placings and $87,157 in prizemoney. He is the seventh foal and one of eight winners out of New Zealand-bred mare That’s The Spirit, who had 105 starts for 22 wins, 30 placings and $134,334. She won eleven times in Victoria, ten times in Queensland and once in New South Wales.
Middlepage is proving a good buy for Harper and several stable clients. He was bought for $20,000 at the 2018 APG Perth yearling sale.
“He is an above average horse who has a few more wins in him. I think he will get to open company, but I don’t know how he will go when he gets there,” said Harper. “He used to have good gate speed but he’s a bit dicey with that lately, so we’ve being going back with him at the start.”
Acoltnamedsu ($5.50) set the pace in Friday night’s event in which Harper restrained Middlepage, the $2.60 second fancy, back to fifth and into the one-out, one-back position. Middlepage still fifth and hampered for room at the 300m before he got into the clear 75m later and finished strongly with a three-wide burst to win by a half neck from $11 chance Carrera Mach, who had taken the lead 120m from the post.
Middlepage is a half-brother to Patrickthepiranha, who has earned $472,643 from 24 wins and 19 placings from 75 starts. In 2019 Patrickthepiranha won the Group 3 Caduceus Club Classic, the Group 2 Sales Classic, the Group 1 Westbred Classic and the Group 2 Christmas Gift as well as finishing a head second to Shockwave in the Group 1 Golden Nugget.
Patrickthepiranha won 13 races in Western Australia before leaving in July 2021 for America where he has won another eleven times.