Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
The skill of champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr was a telling factor in $14.60 chance Orlando Blue’s decisive victory in the Retravision.com.au Nights Of Thunder heat two at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Orlando Blue, trained by Michael Young, started out wide at the No. 7 barrier and was overlooked by most punters, who considered the event to be a match race between Sugar Street (barrier two) and Ragazzo Mach (barrier four).
Sugar Street, the $2.05 favourite, was beaten for early speed by $9.50 chance Socrates, who started from barrier six and led by a length but was unable to cross to the front when Chris Lewis urged Sugar Street forward to assume control in front.
It was then in the early stages that Hall was able to angle Orlando Blue across to the pegs to trail the pacemaking Sugar Street, who after an opening quarter of 28.8sec. coasted through the second 400m section in a leisurely 30.6sec. Ragazzo Mach, who had begun speedily and was in the breeze early, went to the pegs in the first lap.
After a third quarter of 28.4sec. Sugar Street began to wilt and Socrates took a narrow lead approaching the home turn. Hall bided his time, and he switched Orlando Blue into the clear 225m from home. He five-year-old sprinted strongly to hit the front at the 90m before winning by just over a half-length from Ragazzo Mach, who ran home strongly after getting off the inside with 550m to travel.
Orlando Blue rated 1.55.1 over the 1730m and was the only runner from this heat to qualify for next Friday night’s final. He has had 39 starts for eleven wins, ten placings and $121,217.
“From the wide barrier draw, the win was definitely unexpected,” said Young. “Obviously, drawing No. 1 in the final would be perfect, and we would have a good chance of finishing second to Pinny Tiger.”