Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Lightly-raced four-year-old Rascal, described by reinsman Gary Hall Jnr as a pacer with a good motor but with a broken steering wheel, was on his best behaviour when he resumed racing after a two-month absence as the $1.55 favourite in the $20,250 Hoist Torque Australia Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Rascal, trained by Katja Warwick, began like a flash from barrier four and he resisted an early challenge from $17 chance Onesmartfella which resulted in a smart lead time of 36.4sec.
Onesmartfella overraced in the breeze and after a modest opening quarter of 31.4sec. the next 400m sections were covered in 30.3sec., 28.4sec. and 28.8sec.
Rascal coasted to victory at a 1.57.3 rate over 2130m, beating $51 outsider Adda Something by two lengths. Illawong Mustang ran on from seventh at the bell to be third, with Onesmartfella fading to finish last.
“Rascal is a very good frontrunner,” said Hall. “He has had problems and he hangs in badly and will go through the pegs if you let him. Usually that is caused by a gear problem or some soreness. He goes better when you let him run along. He was pretty good tonight when I was able to manage him in front.”
Rascal is by the American stallion Captaintreacherous and is the first foal out of the Rich And Spoilt mare Strattothehilton, who earned $157,415 from ten wins and 22 placings from 68 starts. Her wins included the Group 1 Westbred Classic for two-year-old fillies in June 2014 and the Sales Classic for three-year-old fillies in February 2015.
Straittothehilton’s granddam Arctic Glow produced eight winners, including Amongst Royalty (86 starts for 23 wins, 27 placings and $570,820) and Chazsalico (135 starts for 20 wins, 31 placings and $141,515).
Arctic Glow’s dam Broncroft Castle, produced eight winners, including Mon Poppy Day and Parthenon. Mon Poppy Day won the Tasmanian and WA Derbies in 1996, the Golden Nugget the following season and the Mount Eden Sprint in 1998 before being retired with a record of 50 starts for 20 wins, 16 placings and $318,558 in prizemoney. Parthenon won a $50,000 Classic for two-year-old fillies in February 1994 and was successful in the Group 1 WA Oaks in April 1995.