Ken Casellas | PACEPIX
Outstanding driver Deni Roberts achieved a memorable milestone in typical fashion at Gloucester Park on Friday night, summing up the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition and planning to get those horses out of their comfort zone.
She was once again rewarded for her professional attitude as well as her skill by overcoming a wide barrier and winning the $25,000 $9 Pints in Steelo’s Pace over 2130m with the Greg and Skye Bond-trained Vegas Strip.
This gave the 29-year-old Roberts her 800TH winner in a glittering career in the sulky which began sedately with one winner from 36 drives in her first season (2014-15) and ten wins from 135 drives the following season before blossoming and reaching great heights with 98 winners in 2022, 201 in 2023 and 172 in 2024. Her tally this year, with five months remaining is a healthy 78.
Four-year-old Vegas Strip was the $6.10 second fancy in Friday night’s race in which another four-year-old Dark Eyes was the warm $2.20 favourite from the prized No. 1 barrier.
Roberts considered that Dark Eyes could be suspect if hotly challenged early, so she planned to make full use of Vegas Strip’s blistering gate speed from out wide at barrier No. 7.
“Vegas Strip felt really good in the warm-up, and he is electric off the gate,” said Roberts.
Dark Eyes led for the first 100 metres but was unable to hold out the flying Vegas Strip, who then was able to relax with a 37.1sec. lead time and a extremely comfortable opening 400m section in 31.6sec. before increasing the tempo with quarters of 29sec., 28.8sec. and 28.4sec. on his way to winning by a half-neck from Dark Eyes, who ran home determinedly.
Vegas Strip, winner of the 2023 Golden Slipper, is sure to develop into a strong candidate for the rich feature events for four-year-olds later in the year. Her has earned $201,031 from nine wins, six seconds and one third placing from 27 starts.