Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Pinjarra trainer David Young is bubbling with enthusiasm and is confident that Patched will be hard to beat in the $50,000 Trotters Cup next Friday week.
Young’s confidence was boosted when Patched ended a sequence of five second placings with a impressive victory in the $20,250 $1 Million Nullarbor April 14 Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Patched, the $1.40 favourite, began smoothly from the 10m line and Aiden De Campo quickly had the Victorian-bred six-year-old following the pacemaker Papa Razzi ($6.50).
When Line The Starzzz ($17) dashed forward 1100m from home De Campo wisely eased Patched off the pegs and into the breeze, a move he made to ensure that Patched would not be in danger of being hemmed in. Patched went to the front 250m from the post and went on to win by a neck from $11 chance Chumani. The final quarters were run in 29.9sec., 29.2sec. and 28.9sec.
“Aiden said Patched was doing it easily on the line,” said Young. “Patched has pulled up a bit big, and that run will do him the world of good. I’m looking forward to the Cup when the bigger field will suit him more than tonight’s field of seven.
“Patched has unbelievable high speed, and his strength is his sit-sprint ability. After his win tonight he will get 20 metres in the Cup, but shouldn’t be a great worry.”
Patched has been wonderfully consistent in WA, with his 14 starts in the State producing seven wins (six in stands), six seconds and one fourth. His career record is 45 starts for 12 wins, 17 placings and $98,382.