Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Victorian-bred six-year-old The Code Breaker, who ruined his chances a week earlier when he set the pace and overraced badly before wilting to finish third behind Prince of Pleasure, was far better suited and much more tractable from the inside of the back line in the 2536m Bridge Bar Open Tomorrow Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was a $5.60 chance and he travelled smoothly in fifth position, three back on the pegs, with Stamford ($7.50) setting a solid pace, with Classic Choice ($6.50) in the breeze and the $2.70 favourite Eldaytona trailing the pacemaker.
When Lindsay Harper eased Eldaytona off the pegs about 300m from home Mitch Miller was able to send The Code Breaker through along the pegs to follow the leader. Miller got The Code Breaker into the clear approaching the home turn and the American Ideal gelding surged to the front in the final 50m and won by a head from the fast-finishing Eldaytona, with Classic Choice (who got to the front 250m from home) a fading third.
“The Code Breaker is just a good, honest horse, and three back on the pegs is a very good place,” said trainer Ryan Bell. “He races with a Hidez hood and a one-legged spreader, and one thing we have learned with him is you do not pull the ear plugs.
“When he raced with ear plugs, he was inclined to stop a bit when the plugs were pulled. So, we put a set of pull-downs on him, and Mitch said that when he pulled the pull-downs tonight, he went to the line well.”
The Code Breaker, who was purchased by Albert Walmsley for $72,000 at the 2018 Victorian APG yearling sale, has earned $133,464 from 14 wins and 23 placings from 63 starts.