Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Rich feature events, with $465,000 in prizemoney, are on the agenda for Sebastian James after he had scored a smart all-the-way victory in the $30,000 BOTRA The Future Is Harness Western Crown at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He is a nice big colt and an effortless pacer who showed tonight that he can handle pressure,” said trainer Katja Warwick. “His immediate mission will be the Pearl.”
The $100,000 Pearl Classic will be run on August 16, followed by the $215,000 Westbred Classic on September 6 and the $150,000 Golden Nugget on September 27.
Sebastian James, a Captain Crunch colt, was the $3.30 favourite from the prized No.1 barrier, and Shannon Suvaljko made every post a winner by getting the youngster away to a flying start before travelling easily over the opening quarters in 29.5sec. and 30sec. before dashing over the final 400m sections in 28.8sec. and 28.3sec. on his way to winning by a half-length from the fast-finishing $13 chance Im Massimo, with Captain Stirling ($7) a close-up third.
Sebastain James rated 1.55.8 and improved his record to three starts for two wins and a third placing for stakes of $30,136.
Also set for the upcoming rich feature events is Warwick’s Sweet Lou colt Hold The Ammo, who was a $4 chance in Friday night’s event in which he finished sixth.
Hold The Ammo began from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and raced in sixth position, one-out and two-back. He began a three-wide move 600m from home but was pushed out wide for the rest of the journey.
Dylan Egerton-Green’s colt Captain Stirling enjoyed an ideal passage in the one-out, one-back position before following the run of Hold The Ammo in the final circuit. A punctured near side sulky tyre did not help his cause.