Twenty-year-old Corey Peterson landed his second Group 3 winner when he drove $1.40 favourite Extradite to a comfortable all-the-way victory in the $30,000 Clarke final at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His previous Group 3 winner was One For Dave Andme, who started at $5.50 and defeated To Fast To Serious in the John Higgins Memorial last July.
“Tonight, it was a drop in grade for Extradite, really,” said Peterson who drove the New Zealand-bred six-year-old for trainer Kim Prentice.
“He had the perfect draw (barrier No. 1) and he’s a good frontrunner. I never felt in doubt; I had a look around at the 200m and there was nothing making ground. He has come on in leaps and bounds since Kim changed his work.”
Extradite had the luxury of a slow lead time of 38.7sec. and was able to amble through the first quarter of the final mile in 31.9sec. before Peterson increased the tempo and the Washington VC gelding ran the final 400m sections in 29.2sec., 27.3sec. and 28.1sec. to record a mile rate of 1.57.3.
Henwood Bay, racing first-up, trailed Extradite all the way and finished second, with Lightning Jolt finishing a sound third after enjoying an ideal passage, one-out and one-back.
Peterson has formed a wonderful association with Extradite, having driven the gelding eleven times for six wins, two seconds and three thirds.
By Ken Casellas