Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Byford trainer Katja Warwick has always had her hands full in attempting to get Rascal to be more tractable in his races, and she admits that she has consistently changed the five-year-old’s gear in bids to get him to be more reliable in his races.
“He has always wanted to hang in in his races,” she said. “And we keep him guessing with regular changes of gear. I was happy with the way he travelled tonight (from the No. 1 barrier and as the $1.50 favourite in the 2536m Milne Feeds Pace).
“He didn’t hang too badly. He likes it on the fence and likes to lead.”
Rascal ended a losing sequence of eleven when Shannon Suvaljko sent him straight to the front and was able to set a moderate early pace before covering the final 800m in 58sec. and winning by a half length from Regal Cheval, who trailed Rascal until Maddison Brown eased him off the pegs 220m from home. The eight-year-old fought on gamely, but never appeared likely to seriously challenge the winner.
Rascal, bred and owned by Warwick and Tom Erceg, is by the American sire Captaintreacherous and is the first foal out of the Rich And Spoilt mare Straittothehilton, who raced 68 times for ten wins, 22 placings and stakes of $157,415, with the highlight of her career for Warwick being the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2014.
Rascal has now earned $99,320 from eleven wins and nine placings from 32 starts.
Suvaljko continued in winning vein at Kellerberrin on Sunday with a bag of five winners — Mister Linton ($1.40), Allwood Wizard ($1.50), Dazzling Jewel ($5.10), Zyanya ($16.90) and Lets Rock Tonight ($2.40).