Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
New Zealand-bred pacer State Of Heaven revealed excellent fighting qualities when he endured a tough run in the breeze and went on to win the 21340m Gstar Continues To Shine Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
State Of Heaven, a $5.70 chance driven by Shannon Suvaljko for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg, raced without cover while the $2.45 favourite Loucid Dreams was setting the pace after a fast lead time of 36.5sec. and slow opening quarters of 32.6sec. and 30.7sec.
Loucid Dreams then sprinted the third 400m section of the final mile in 27.8sec. before wilting to finish fourth. Suvaljko sent State Of Heaven to the front with 250m to travel and the six-year-old went on to win by a half-neck from $6 chance The Code Breaker, who raced in the one-out, two-back position before finishing determinedly.
State Of Heaven has been a handy performer who now has earned $108,994 from ten wins and 24 placings from 54 starts. He is by Rock N Roll Heaven and is out of Stateofthenation, who won once and earned just $4897 from eleven starts.