Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Talented WA-bred five-year-old Mighty Ronaldo, a winner of three Group 1 feature events, is progressing perfectly to seek further big-race victories.
A son of the 2013 WA Derby winner Alta Christiano, Mighty Ronaldo was produced in fine fettle by Boyanup trainer Justin Prentice for a splendid win in the $50,000 Group 3 August Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Having his second run after a four-month absence, Mighty Ronaldo was the $3.20 second fancy from the No. 2 barrier and Gary Hall Jnr was fortunate to avoid interference when last-start winners and stablemates Himself ($23) and Tenzing Bromac, the $2.35 favourite, were involved in a tangle, broke and lost a considerable amount of ground about 100 metres after the start of the 2536m event.
Mighty Ronaldo was racing without cover in fourth position early before Hall seized the initiative and dashed the gelding past the fast-starting $31 chance The Mustang to take up the running after 350m.
Tenzing Bromac, who was badly checked, lost about twelve lengths, and so too did Himself, who shifted in, and his nearside sulky wheel contacted Tenzing Bromac’s offside foreleg.
Kyle Symington urged Himself forward after a lap to move to the breeze, and when The Mustang suffered an atrial fibrillation about 1300m from home and dropped back sharply Symington was able to take the trail behind the pacemaker with Himself.
The third quarter of the final mile was run in 28.1sec. before the final 400m was covered in 27.7sec. Tenzing Bromac was eighth at the bell and was in sixth place 100m from the post before he surged home powerfully out wide to take third place in a three-way photo with stablemates Patronus Star and Himself, who was hampered for room in the final stages.
Prentice was pleased with Mighty Ronaldo’s performance, saying: “He was lucky he missed the early interference, but he still had to run a decent quarter to get to the front. And then he settled nicely.
“I gave Mighty Ronaldo a break after his Sydney trip (when he finished third behind Beyond Delight in the Group 1 APG Gold Bullion final for four-year-olds in May 2022) and ten I don’t think he was quite at his best in the big races for four-year-olds late last year (when third to Lavra Joe and Jumpingjackmac in the Four-Year-Old Championship and unplaced in the Four-Year-Old Classic and Golden Nugget).”
Mighty Ronaldo went on to win the Fremantle Cup from Minstrel and Diego before finishing third behind Diego and Jumpingjackmac in the WA Pacing Cup in January.
Prentice will space Mighty Ronaldo’s runs before he runs in the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup on November 10. “And then he will have a break before the Fremantle Cup in April,” said Prentice.”
Mighty Ronaldo gave Hall a record sixth August Cup success, following wins with Im Themightyquinn (2010), Uppy Son (2013), Northview Punter (2014) and Chicago Bull (2018 and 2020).