Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
A patient drive by Gary Hall Jnr was rewarded when Tricky Miki got clear on the home turn and charged down the straight to snatch a thrilling last-stride victory in the Group 2 Cowden Insurance Western Gateway Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
It was a splendid rehearsal for the $200,000 WA Derby next Friday week, and it delighted his trainer Justin Prentice, who gave the gelding no hope when he was under lock and key, hopelessly hemmed in on the pegs behind the pacemaker Machs Bettor, and with Linebacker in the breeze, in the final circuit.
But Hall was able to push Linebacker three wide with 220m to travel, and Tricky Miki, the $2 favourite, got into the clear and flashed home to beat $3.70 second Machs Bettor by a head, rating 1.59.3 over the 2536m journey.
Tricky Miki started from the inside of the back line, and Hall decided his best winning prospects would be to sit behind the frontrunning Machs Bettor.
“Tricky Miki went super,” said Hall. “I didn’t think in the last lap that he could win. And even when he got out, I thought that the leader had had too nice a run for Tricky Miki to get over him.”
Prentice was a relieved man after the race, saying: “I thought that there was no way in hell that Tricky Miki would get a run at all.”
This was Tricky Miki’s first start over 2536m, the distance of the Derby, with Prentice saying that racing over 2536m was never a concern. Tricky Miki, purchased by Prentice for $57,500 at the 2020 Perth APG yearling sale, now has raced 13 times for seven wins, five placings and $208,450. Prentice races the gelding in partnership with eight others.
Hall and Prentice now have won the Western Gateway Pace four times, with Hall’s earlier victories being with Alta Christiano (2013), Beaudiene Boaz (2015) and Chicago Bull (2016). Prentice won this event as a driver with the John Graham-trained Lively Royce (2008) and Michael Brennan’s Im Victorious in 2012 before he trained and drove Major Martini for his win in 2020.
Tricky Miki’s win on Friday night came three days after Prentice lost his brilliant two-year-old Art Major gelding Valedictorian.
“His death was the result of either an aneurysm or a snake bite,” said Prentice. “I have spoken to a couple of vets, and they’re leaning towards an aneurysm because there was no sign of any discomfort.
“Mum was in the paddock cleaning his water trough, and Valedictorian was trotting up and down, thinking he was getting a feed. Then, two hours later she went back to do a final check in the afternoon, and the horse had died. He was one of the nicest horses I’ve had. He loved people and loved being in work and racing.”
Valedictorian raced ten times for five wins, two seconds and stakes of $132,647. His wins included the Group 1 Sales Classic for two-year-old colts and geldings and the Group 2 APG Gold Bullion.