Ken Casellas | Photo: Gloucester Park Harness Racing
Talented driver Deni Roberts celebrated her biggest success in the sulky when her aggressive tactics paid off handsomely, with $7.30 chance Socrates scoring a thrilling half-head victory in the $50,000 Direct Trades Supply San Simeon Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This gave the 26-year-old Roberts her first victory in a Group 2 feature event, with Socrates beating stablemates Himself, the $3.10 favourite, and $20 chance Markham Eyre to give leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond a notable trifecta result.
Roberts, who was driving Socrates for the first time, made a bold bid for the lead, getting the New Zealand-bred five-year-old away speedily from the No. 3 barrier and leading by a length in the early stages. But Socrates was unable to cross to the front, with the polemarker Major Freeway ($4) resisting the challenge.
Socrates then was left in the breeze until Himself, after settling in ninth position, surged forward with a strong three-wide burst to move outside Major Freeway 650m after the start.
Himself, driven by Ryan Warwick, forged to the front about 600m from home, and moments after being passed, Major Freeway galloped and dropped back through the field after his spreader extension broke.
Roberts then urged Socrates forward and the gelding took the lead by a neck with about 470m to travel. Then Socrates and Himself became locked together in a titanic duel, with Socrates gaining the verdict by a half-head, with Mitch Miller bringing Markham Eyre home with a strong burst from eighth at the bell to be third.
“I thought that Socrates was the quickest off the arm, so the plan was to lead,” said Roberts. “He almost crossed (to the front). It was a massive performance for him to win, particularly after the early burn.
“When he eventually got to the front I didn’t want to kick away, considering what he had done at the start. I was just holding my spot, and Himself definitely kicked back at me in the closing stages.”
Socrates, a winner at two of his five New Zealand starts, has blossomed under the care of the Bonds and his 13 starts in WA have produced seven wins and three placings to take his career earnings to $90,755.
He is by Art Major and is the eighth foal out of the unraced mare Pita Pocket, who is the dam of four-year-old Alcippes Delight, who won at her Australian debut when she beat Maddy Rocks in a race at Pinjarra last Monday to take her record to 11 starts for three wins, four placings and stakes of $22,666.
Interestingly, Socrates is a half-brother to Kristoff, who managed just four wins from 74 starts. His wins (one at Gloucester Park and three at Northam) came from 68 starts in WA between 2012 and 2016.
Earlier on Friday, Roberts drove Auckland Jet ($1.85) to victory at Bunbury, and then on Saturday night she landed a double at Northam, scoring with Belonero ($12) and Roll Up ($1.24).