Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
“He’s a big boy who is a bit green and a bit nervous, and next time in he should be better,” said Deni Roberts after driving the inexperienced three-year-old Tualou to victory in the Sky Racing Watch Live Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park Friday night.
“This was a good learning curve for him. The ability is definitely there.”
Tualou, an all-the-way Gloucester Park winner three nights earlier, was the $2.40 favourite from barrier two on the back line.
“We were following out the right horse (Soho Skyfall at barrier two) and I expected we would settle quite handy,” said Roberts. “I was left in the breeze early and was quite happy to sit there but when Bettor Arcade came three wide Tualou got truckin’ and he pushed his way to the front (after a lap).”
Tualou bowled along in the lead and went on to win by just under a length from $26 outsider Petes Honour, who ran home strongly from eighth at the bell. Soho Skyfall fought on into third place.
Tualou had three starts as a two-year-old in New Zealand for a win over 1700m at Alexandra Park in August last year. He has had four starts in WA for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond for three wins and a second placing.
He is by American sire Sweet Lou and is the second foal out of the Mach Three mare Ask Again who raced 19 times for three wins, three placings and $34,034. Ask Again is a half-sister to Changeover mare Talkerup, who earned $198,196 from 15 wins and 34 placings from 196 starts. Eleven of her wins were in Western Australia, four of them in metropolitan-class company.