Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Veteran trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper was at home on Friday night nursing a couple of broken ribs when he received a perfect panacea for his woes when his son Kyle drove Hold The Ammo to an overdue victory at Gloucester Park.
Harper Snr was laid low recently when a recalcitrant horse lashed out in a paddock and fractured his ribs, injuries which will keep him out of the sulky for several weeks.
Kyle Harper, having his first drive in a race behind Hold The Ammo, was not particularly confident about the winning chances of the four-year-old who went into the race with a losing sequence of twelve and as a $6.10 chance from out wide at barrier No. 7.
However, a blistering lead time of 34.7sec. suited Hold The Ammo, who was given an easy time early when he settled down in last position in the field of nine.
“Hold The Ammo has shown promise but hasn’t quite delivered,” said Kyle Harper. “He got his chance a few starts ago when he led, but he overraced and finished last.
“On a Twitter interview on the way out on to the track tonight I said that Hold The Ammo hadn’t been trying very hard, and I suggested like they say in the form guide ‘others preferred’ but I would be happy to be proved wrong.
“When the 34sec. lead time came up I realised I might have given punters a bum steer. I was content after that fast time all he had to do was to try a little bit, and things unravelled perfectly for him.
“I was also worried that he usually promises the world but produces only an atlas. However, to his credit he delivered tonight and ran through the line with the plugs in.”
Hold The Ammo was still in last place with 250m to travel before Harper urged him forward. He responded and went five wide on the home bend before bursting to the front 70m from the post and winning by a length and a half from the pacemaker Jingling Jewels ($16) who fought on doggedly after being involved in the early speed battle.
Hold The Ammo is owned by Tom Erceg, who purchased him for $140,000 at the 2023 Perth APG yearling sale. He now has raced 31 times for eight wins and five placings for earnings of $70,144. He is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is the first foal out of unraced Somebeachsomewhere mare Invidia.
Invidia is a full-sister to Red Hot Roxy, who earned $162,550 from 13 wins and eight placings from 32 starts, with the highlight of her career being her victory in the Group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in April 2016.
Erceg is now hoping that Hold The Ammo will follow in the footsteps of some of his former smart pacers, including Straittothehilton, Rascal and Tommy be Good.
He bought Straittothehilton as a yearling for $6000 and she won the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2014 and was retired with earnings of $157,415 from ten wins and 22 placings from 68 starts.
Straittothehilton’s first foal was Rascal, who raced 73 times for 16 wins, 14 placings and $170,084 from 73 starts. Tommy Be Good had 115 starts for 18 wins, 32 placings and stakes of $253,708.