Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
There was an eerie sense of deja vu at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Aiden De Campo drove the brilliant Shockwave to a half-head victory over Mighty Conqueror in the $30,000 Follow @Gloucester Park On Twitter Pace.
Deni Roberts, the driver of Mighty Conqueror lodged a protest against Shockwave, alleging interference in the final stages of the 2536m event.
This revived vivid memories of the Group 1 $125,000 Four-Year-Old Classic at Gloucester Park in November 2019 when De Campo finished first, with Shockwave beating the $71 outsider Sangue Reale by a short half-head. A protest was lodged by the connections of Sangue Reale, alleging interference in the home straight. It was upheld and Shockwave was demoted to second.
However, history did not repeat itself. Friday night’s protest was unsuccessful, and Shockwave celebrated his 50TH start with a desperately close victory which boosted his earnings to $567,002 from 22 wins and 17 placings.
Roberts argued that Shockwave, the $1.04 favourite, had checked the pacemaking Mighty Conqueror, a $6 chance in the field of three runners, in the home straight. The sulky wheels of the two pacers became locked, with Roberts saying that cost Mighty Conqueror valuable ground.
“His wheel stopped my wheel from coming through,” said Roberts. “Otherwise, I felt we would have won.”
De Campo retaliated by saying that Shockwave had maintained a straight line all the way up the home straight, and that Mighty Conqueror had moved up the track.
The stewards dismissed the protest, saying that Mighty Conqueror had shifted out slightly and that Roberts was able to drive the gelding out.
Shockwave has now won at each of his three comebacks appearances after an injury-enforced absence of 22 months. Trainer Ryan Bell said that Shockwave had pulled up a bit big in condition.
“This was his first run for three weeks, and I thought I had done enough at home,” he said. “However, he is such a good horse who can overcome fitness issues.
“We were planning to race Shockwave until the $50,000 Winter Cup on July 28 to be his final run before going for a spell. But with the change in the program and with the WA Pacing Cup to be run on November 10, we might be better off going for a let-up now.”