Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Veteran owner Rob Dower, who raced pacers with the late Les Poyser more than fifty years ago, has never lost his enthusiasm for the sport of harness racing.
He is now more than happy at his decision to outlay $15,000 last month to buy promising five-year-old Showpony, a small, striking and handsome gelding who gave a sample of his ability with a splendid frontrunning display to score an effortless win in the 1730m Cowden Insurance Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was the Sweet Lou gelding’s third start for Dower and Pinjarra trainer David Young for two wins and a first-up sixth, for stakes of $10,460.
Showpony, driven by Kyle Symington, was the $3.20 second favourite from the No. 2 barrier. He was beaten for early speed by the $2 favourite Franco Mecca and $61 outsider Name In Lights, but he was able to resist the early challenges and set the pace.
After a lead time of 7.7sec. Showpony sprinted the final 400m sections in 28.4sec., 29sec., 29.1sec. and 28.4sec. and won by just over five lengths from $16 chance High Price, who surged home from seventh at the bell.
The winner rated 1.54 and improved his record to 22 starts for eight wins, eight placings and $53,139 in prizemoney.
“I have trained horses for Rob Dower for about 15 years, with the most successful ones being Baylan Jett and The Marble Ridge,” said Young.
Showpony has film star looks, sporting a massive white blaze and long white stockings on his hind legs. He has inherited much of his ability from his dam Bethany Aitch, who won the Group 1 $102,000 Diamond Classic at Gloucester Park in June 2015, and was retired with a record of 43 starts for eight wins, 14 placings and $122,612.
Young said that Showpony was a late bloomer. “His steering wheel is still on the wall at home, and it is taking a while for him to figure it all out,” he explained.
“I was confident that Showpony would show more gate speed tonight than people thought he would. Kyle said he did it easily tonight. The horse is still very inexperienced, and I think that after a spell he will come back a better horse.”
Showpony gave Young his second winner on Friday night. He bred, owns and trains six-year-old mare Minor Catastrophe, who began from 50m and won a 2400m event at Busselton, beating co-backmarker Flynscotsman by seven lengths.
“Minor Catastrophe will be set for the Busselton Cup over 2680m next Friday week,” said Y