Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Four-year-old Never Ending, the youngest and least experienced runner in next Friday night’s $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race, warmed up for the big event in fine style at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he cruised to victory in the $100,000 Westbred Classic.
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr made a split-second decision to abandon plans to race Never Ending, the $1.20 favourite, with a sit when he drove the WA-bred gelding forward in the early stages to take up the running after 120 metres.
“The plan was to go back off the gate and race with a sit,” said Hall. “But when Hotly Pursued led by about three-quarters of a length I decided to let Never Ending boot up and stride through (on the inside of Hotly Pursued).
“When I got to where I was so easily and so comfortably it was hard not to take the lead when it was so close. I didn’t want to be in the breeze, and I was concerned that if I restrained him, he could have been shuffled back too far.
“Never Ending travelled really good and drove straight which he usually does when in front. It was a good trial for the Nullarbor, even though I think he is a year off these horses. When you get to this level you need the tractability to be on par with a horse’s ability.
“I don’t think that the speed in the Nullarbor will worry him. If he’s three the fence, one-out and one-back or on the leader’s back he will run home in 27sec. The 2536m won’t worry him after his past four runs have been in 2500m-plus events.”
Trainer Justin Prentice said that Hall had told him that Never Ending’s steering had been perfect. “He said that Never Ending travelled really well, and there’s no way the last time in (during his previous preparation) that he could have run such easy opening quarters (of the final mile) in 31.9sec. and 29.5sec. (before sprinting over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 27.4sec.) and rating 1.58.4.
“It’s great to have Never Ending in the Nullarbor, and this was a good hit-out, perfect for what I wanted. He ran a good last half over the distance.”
Never Ending will go into the Nullarbor with an impressive record of 17 starts for 14 wins, two placings and stakes of $528,095.