Up-and-coming four-year-old Texas Tiger remained unbeaten at five starts in Western Australia when he crushed his rivals in the 2130m Caduceus Club At Gloucester Park Pace at Gloucester Park on Saturday night.
Champion trainer Gary Hall Snr praised the New Zealand-bred pacer’s performance and said that the American Ideal gelding would contest the $50,000 Four And Five-Year-Old Championship at Gloucester Park next Friday night.
“Texas Tiger is right up there with some of the better ones I’ve trained,” said Hall. “He is foolproof, he is fast and he can stay. It should be a good race next week, with some very good four and five-year-olds in the field.”
Texas Tiger completed a winning treble for Hall and his son Gary, who also drove Silent Major and Mr Kiwi to smart victories earlier in the program.
Texas Tiger was a hot favourite at $1.04 from the prized No. 1 barrier and he gave his backers no concern by ambling through the lead time in 38.1sec. and running a slow opening quarter of the final mile in 32sec. before sprinting over the next three quarters in 29.7sec., 28.1sec. and 27.4sec.
He won at a 1.57.3 rate by one and a half lengths from Stroke Of Luck, who trailed him throughout. Last-start winner Patrickthepiranha raced without cover before wilting to finish fifth.
By Ken Casellas