Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Brilliant New Zealand-bred six-year-old Minstrel ended a losing sequence of 12 and broke a 13-month drought when he scored a decisive victory in the 1730m $30,000 Caduceus Club Come Up And Join Us Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He showed no signs of fatigue after a gruelling run when fifth behind Diego in the 2692m Pinjarra Cup four days earlier.
Minstrel, the $2.60 second fancy, gave a sample of his class when he raced in the breeze for much of the way before finishing strongly to beat the fast-finishing Hampton Banner ($14) and pacemaker and $1.90 favourite The Mustang, 1.54, with final quarters of 27.5sec. and 27.8sec.
The victory gave Deni Roberts the final leg of a driving treble, following earlier wins with Roll Up and Jett Star, and this was the third of four winners on the night for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who were also successful with Roll Up, Jett Star and Aussie Scooter.
If Minstrel takes no harm from his win there is a good chance he will contest the $50,000 Governor’s Cup next Friday night. A winner of four races in New Zealand, Minstrel has excelled in Western Australia, with his 33 starts in the State producing 13 wins and nine placings.
“I think that the back-up (after the Pinjarra Cup) suited him,” said Roberts. “Tonight, he felt really good when I got out on to the track. He felt sharp and above himself. I don’t think that he has ever backed up that close between runs. Sometimes, it can work; and sometimes the horse can be a bit flat.”