Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Sensational pacer Never Ending produced a paralysing burst of sheer speed rarely seen at Gloucester Park when he smashed the race record and outclassed the opposition in the $100,000 Allwood Stud Westbred Classic for three-year-old colts and geldings on Friday night.
After beginning from the outside barrier (No. 9) and being trapped six and seven wide as he was being restrained back to last in the field of twelve he was still last a thousand metres from home and ten lengths behind the leader Magnus Victor when champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr switched the gelding three wide and he revealed electrifying pace to charge to the front in the space of 200m and then coast to victory.
Never Ending’s sizzling speed left onlookers gasping in disbelief, harness racing aficionados searching for superlatives and Hall and trainer Justin Prentice agog with their admiration.
“I’ve driven only one horse (Im Themightyquinn) who could do what he did tonight,” said Hall. “They weren’t going all that slow and I wasn’t really intending on doing what he did. He just wanted to go, and I doubt that there are many horses who could hold him.
“He is just too quick, and he’s that good that he wants to go faster all the time. And we think that is not good for him, but it is just comfortable for him.
“I don’t know how good he could be. It’s hard to line him up with the best horses I’ve driven because he is only three. He is probably the best three-year-old I’ve driven, at least the equal of Alta Christiano, who was a superstar.
“Never Ending is the fastest three-year-old I have driven. When Quinny was three he was good, but it was only when he was five, six and seven that he really hit his straps, which something I’m hoping this guy does, as well.
“He could be anything. It’s not just doing that and winning. He won tonight like that he had led from the start and run his own race. I never even moved on him late. His speed is ridiculous. He is in the top few horses I have driven.
“Tealsby Karita went out of this world when he won the Pacing Cup, and I still go back and watch the replay every now and again. Beaudiene Boaz won the Golden Slipper, the Derby and the Golden Nugget, and that’s pretty hard to do.
“But none of the horses I have driven had the same sort of speed. The only one who had speed like Never Ending was Quinny. I’m not making comparisons, but Never Ending is the only horse who has that push-button speed. He really excites me.”
Prentice was equally ecstatic after Never Ending’s remarkable victory, saying: “His turn of foot is unreal, and there’s not many horses capable of doing what he did tonight. And there’s not many drivers who would attempt what Junior did tonight. It was an awesome drive and an awesome run.
“Never Ending is the best three-year-old I have trained. I thought Major Martini (second to Patronus Star in the 2020 WA Derby) was one of the best, and Mighty Ronaldo (winner of the Golden Slipper and Pearl Classic as a two-year-old, winner of the 2021 WA Derby and the Fremantle Cup early this year) has a good turn of foot, but I’m not sure he could keep up with Never Ending.”
Prentice said that if Never Ending recovers well from Friday night’s victory his next run would be in the $35,000 Battle Of Bunbury on September 27. That could be followed by a run in the $50,000 Western Gateway on October 20 before the $200,000 WA Derby on November 3.
Never Ending was the $1.60 favourite who beat $81 outsider Dourado by three and a half lengths, with the $4.40 second fancy Skylord finishing a neck away in third place after working hard in the breeze.
Never Ending rated 1.55.2 over the 2130m on Friday night to eclipse the Westbred Classic race record of 1.55.4, set by Patrickthepiranha in 2019. It also gave Prentice his third training success, following wins with Bettor Reward in 2015 and Tricky Miki in 2022.
For Hall it was his sixth win in the Westbred Classic, after scoring with Paddy Hannan (2004), Truckers Ruffnut (2009), One Off Delight (2018), Finvarra (2021) and Tricky Miki (2022).
Never Ending, who is by American sire Sweet Lou and out of the Die Laughing mare Endless Journey, has amassed $379,566 in prizemoney from his ten wins and one third from eleven starts.