Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Talented New Zealand-bred five-year-old Patronus Star emerged as a leading candidate for the rich Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in January when he unwound a dazzling finishing burst to win the $30,000 Sky Racing Free-For-All over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a first-up triumph for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond, who produced the American Ideal gelding in great shape for his first race for 15 weeks.
The victory ended a losing sequence of 14 and broke a 16-month drought. Patronus Star, a $7.80 chance from barrier four, was driven with great patience and skill by Deni Roberts, who restrained the gelding at the start and was content to race in last position.
Hurricane Harley, a $51 outsider, began speedily and set a solid pace, with the $1.40 favourite Magnificent Storm in the breeze. Magnificent Storm failed to settle and overraced before Aldo Cortopassi sent him to the front 550m from home.
Patronus Star was still ninth and last with 450m to travel before Roberts switched him three wide at the 300m. He was out five wide on the home turn and still in seventh position at the 100m before he flew home to win by just over a length from $71 outsider Cordero, who ran home strongly from eighth at the bell.
Mighty Conqueror ($14), a stablemate of Patronus Star and making his first appearance for eight months, impressed in finishing solidly from sixth at the bell to be a neck away in third place, with Magnificent Storm wilting to fourth.
“It was always my intention, first-up and over the longer trip, to tuck him away and then see how he hit the line,” said Roberts. “He can follow a good tempo and still reel off a really nice quarter, which he did tonight.
“It was run to suit, and he loves peeling off their backs like that. To be honest, I didn’t think that he could win. They were rolling along, and he wasn’t travelling overly well. But the minute I pulled him to the outside I thought I’ve got a bit more horse under me than I thought, and he showed that. It’s the best feeling swamping the field like that.”
Roberts has enjoyed an excellent association with Patronus Star, having driven the gelding four times for a win, two seconds and one third placing. Patronus Star had a modest start to his career as a two-year-old in New Zealand when his seven starts in minor events produced two wins and three placings. His 33 WA starts have resulted in 12 wins and 12 placings, and his record now stands at 40 starts for 14 wins, 15 placings and stakes of $420,730.
He won at his first seven starts in WA in 2020 when his most notable victory was in the WA Derby in April that year when he defeated Major Martini.