Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
WA-bred six-year-old Otis enjoyed a change from standing-start racing to a mobile event when he gave a bold frontrunning display to win the 2130m Australian Pacing Gold Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory as the $2.80 second fancy over the fast-finishing $6.50 chance Soho Santorini ended a nine-month drought and a losing sequence of twelve.
His previous five starts had been in stands (for three placings) and trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green decided to get him back to contesting mobile events because he had not been himself in stands.
Otis, who is by American sire Sweet Lou, has been a consistent performer who has earned $138,235 from 11 wins and 18 placings from 44 starts.
Lil Happy Fella, the polemarker and $2.45 favourite in Friday night’s event, was beaten out by Otis and then trailed him before getting off the pegs 650m from home and into the one-out and one-back position before being switched three wide with 250m to travel. He battled on to finish a well beaten fourth.
A flying start from the No. 5 barrier paved the way for veteran pacer Regal Cheval’s victory in the 2130m APG Perth yearling Sale Pace.
Regal Cheval was a $10.80 chance from barrier No. 5, and Maddison Brown got the nine-year-old away with his usual brilliance, with the polemarker and $2.05 favourite Nevermindthechaos beaten for early speed and then trailing Regal Cheval, who ambled through the lead time in 38.7sec. and the opening quarter in a very slow 31.6sec.
Brown then increased the tempo and Regal Cheval dashed over the final three sections in 29.7sec., 28.5sec. and 27.7sec., giving the opposition little chance of winning. Regal Cheval won by just over a half-length at a 1.58 rate, beating $3.30 chance Cyclone Charlotte, who raced in the breeze throughout. Nevermindthechaos battled on gamely to finish fourth. The deafeners on Nevermindthechaos failed to release, but reinsman Gary Hall Jnr said that this had no material effect on the mare’s performance.
Hall, who trains Regal Cheval, said that the gelding was now probably on his mark. Regal Cheval has been a wonderful performer for his owner Barrie Devereux, having had 134 starts for 15 wins, 36 placings and $174,335. The Victorian-bred Regal Cheval won at ten of his 55 Victorian starts, and his 79 WA starts have produced five wins and 16 placings.
Byford trainer-reinsman Callan Suvaljko has Ardens Horizon racing in superb form, and he enjoyed an armchair drive when he guided the New Zealand-bred five-year-old to an easy win in the 2503m APG Harness Racing Is Our Focus Handicap.
Ardens Horizon, the $1.50 favourite, was untroubled to lead all the way and beat Lucca ($4.80) by one and a half lengths, with flying final 400m sections of 28.2sec. and 27.7sec.
That was Ardens Horizon’s sixth victory in a standing-start event, and he has a splendid record of 54 starts for 15 wins, 20 placings and $195,711.