Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
“She gets better every time she goes around,” said Ravenswood trainer Jocelyn Young after driving The Amber Hare to an effortless victory in the $26,000 Dack Hardwick Free-For-All at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She will go around in the $150,000 Mares Classic next Friday night, and then after that there is the $50,000 Christmas Belles on December 23.”
The Amber Hare was the $1.80 favourite from barrier five in Friday night’s 2130m event. She was trapped four wide in the early stages before Young dashed her to the front after 500m. She then ran the opening quarters in 31sec. and 30.7sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 27.8sec. and 27.9sec. to coast to victory by four and a half lengths from the strong-finishing $3.30 second fancy Three Rumours, who raced three back on the pegs.
Alcippes Delight ($19) began speedily from barrier six and burst to the front after 100m before relinquishing the lead to The Amber Hare 400m later. She then trailed the pacemaker and fought on gamely into third place.
“It was a lot easier than I thought it would be,” said Young. “I did predict that Junior (Gary Hall Jnr) would go forward with Alcippes Delight, but I didn’t expect that they would hand up to me, and that made my job a lot easier.”
The Amber Hare, who rated 1.57.4 over the 2130m, has gone from strength to strength and has raced only 19 times for ten wins, five placings and stakes of $85,487. She won once from five starts in New South Wales, and her 14 starts in Western Australia have produced nine wins and four placings. She is by former star pacer For A Reason and is the seventh foal out of the unraced Blissfull Hall mare Amber Bliss.