Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Star New Zealand-bred three-year-old Chase Me, the $1.10 favourite for the $27,000 BOTRA Thanks Milne Feeds Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, survived a narrow squeak when he held on grimly to gain the verdict in a thrilling four-way photo finish.
Chase Me, prepared by Gary Hall Snr and driven by Gary Hall Jnr, set the pace after a leisurely lead time of 38.3sec. and a slow opening 400m section of 31sec. After that Hall increased the tempo and Chase Me sped over the final three quarters in 28.7sec., 27.7sec. and 28.8sec.
The photo revealed that Chase Me won by a nose from Mr Fantastic ($16), with Louie Dior ($13) a head away in third place, just a head ahead of the fourth placegetter Hotly Pursued ($17).
“This was a bit of a surprise,” said Hall Jnr. “The second, third and fourth horses went huge to get as close as they did. Chase Me wouldn’t have wanted to go much further, that’s for sure.
“The way the (handicapping) system is now you can have a horse like Chase Me up in grade very quickly. We bought him with the WA Derby, Golden Nugget and hopefully the WA Pacing Cup in mind.
“We are happy with the way he is going at home, and tonight it probably was the best he has got around the track, which luckily he did because if he was getting around like he was around a month ago, he probably would’ve run fourth.”
The performances of the three other horse to figure in the photo finish were outstanding. Mr Fantastic began from the back line and raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back, before finishing powerfully.
Louie Dior began fast from barrier six and raced in the breeze before refusing to give in, while Hotly Pursued, racing first-up for three months, was seventh at the bell before thundering home out four wide.
This was Chase Me’s fourth victory from four starts in WA, all at Gloucester Park, and he now has earned $121,414 from seven wins and three placings from ten starts.