Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
New Zealand-bred six-year-old Sugar Street ended a 20-month drought and a losing sequence of 16 when he bounced back to form with an impressive victory in the 2130m We Love Our Members Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Sugar Street, a $13.20 chance, was restrained from barrier five by Chris Voak while the polemarker Let It Linga ($4.40) resisted an early challenge for the lead from the $2.05 favourite Lombo Mitchinson, who was forced to race without cover.
Voak was content for Sugar Street to enjoy an ideal passage in sixth place in the one-out, two-back position. Finally, Lombo Mitchinson was able to dash to the front with 450m to travel.
Dark Eyes, a $7 chance, had a perfect trip, one-out and one-back, before Shannon Suvaljko sent him to the front, out three wide, 220m from home. But he was unable to hold out Sugar Street, who took the lead in the final 50m and beat him by a half-length, rating 1.57.3.
This was Sugar Street’s fourth start after a spell, and his win came as no surprise after three promising efforts, third placings behind Good Times Ahead and behind Chivalry and Soho Dow Jones, and an excellent fourth behind Twobob Cracker after covering a lot of extra ground.
“Sugar Street is heading in the right direction,” said Voak. “He ran through the line very well.”
Sugar Street, trained in Busselton by Barry Howlett, is by Bettors Delight and is the third foal out of Christian Cullen mare Tuapeka Maddy, who managed one win in a minor race in New Zealand from eleven starts.
Sugar Street is a half-brother to former outstanding pacer Culpeka, who was trained by Howlett before a leg injury ended his career after his nine WA starts produced six wins and two thirds which boosted his career record to 28 starts for ten wins, six placings and $161,397.