Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Three-year-old Tualou unleashed a spectacular finishing burst to crush his older rivals in the $21,000 Download The TABtouch App Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His performance earned high praise from his driver Deni Roberts, who predicted a bright future for the New Zealand-bred Sweet Lou gelding, who was the $3.50 second favourite from barrier five, with the polemarker, five-year-old Whataretheodds the $2.20 favourite.
Whataretheodds set a solid pace while Roberts was happy to give Tualou a comfortable trip, one-out and two-back, in sixth position.
After a swift third 400m section of 28.1sec. Roberts started a three-wide charge with Tualou with 300m to travel. Tualou was switched four wide on the corner before thundering home to hit the front 110m from the post and race away to win by ten metres from 20m chance Storyteller, who rattled home from seventh at the bell.
Tualou rated 1.55.3 over the 2130m journey and improved his record to 16 starts for eight wins, four placings and $87,855. He won once from three starts in New Zealand and he has had 13 starts in WA for leading trainers Greg and Skye Bond.
“It was nice to be able to sit Tualou up tonight,” said Roberts. “He is usually the one doing all the work. The speed was quite solid, and he can reel off a pretty nice quarter. And it was good to be able to show that side of him. With the speed on, I thought he would be fast enough to win.
“For a big horse he has a really good turn of foot, and he was able to showcase that tonight. He used to overrace badly when he wanted to run his race, not mine. His manners have come around and he has gone from strength to strength, and I cannot wait for the next time (next preparation).”