Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Former outstanding juvenile pacer Water Lou emerged from the wilderness and ended a two-year drought when she sprouted wings to set the pace from the No. 4 barrier and sprinted strongly to score an easy win in the 1730m JP’s Drink Specials Pace at Gloucester Paron Friday night.
The Kevin Keys-trained five-year-old mare, a solidly supported $9.70 chance, was driven with great confidence by Shannon Suvaljko, and her victory at a 1.52.8 rate over Goodfellaz broke a losing sequence of 21 and improved her record to 48 starts for 22 wins, eight placings and $475,330 in prizemoney.
It was a commanding performance which showed that she is sure to be a leading contender in the $100,000 Norms Daughter Classic on November 6 and the $150,000 Mares Classic on November 20.
Suvaljko explained that unfavourable barriers were the chief reasons for her unplaced efforts at her three previous outings. We had gone back in those races to give confidence,” he said.
“She was going really good but had no luck in those races, and once she found the front tonight, she was going to be hard to beat.”
Suvaljko said that Water Lou was not purely a frontrunner. “Driven three back on the rails or racing one-out and two-back she will be able to unleash (a fast finish),” he said.
Ace trainer-reinsman Aiden De Campo maintained his excellent strike rate on Friday night with a double. He was successful with Dourado ($8.90) in the Taste Of WA Pace and Our Twinkle ($4.30) in the Phil Putland Memorial. He also scored with Last King Of Capel, a $4 chance who was driven to victory by Kaden Elliott in a 2190 event at Northam’s Burwood Park.
Dourado began from the outside of the back line and surged home with a three-wide burst from tenth at the bell to defeat the fast-finishing $7 chance Curadh, while Our Twinkle notched his third win from three starts in WA when he started out wide at barrier seven and burst to the front after 400m before beating Koojan ($14) and the $1.60 favourite Mikis Pride.
Smart sit-sprinter Wave Rebellion ($5.60) was not suited by the dawdling pace in the 2130m Event Parking Pace but showed her class by sprinting fast to score a decisive victory over the pacemaker and $2 favourite Goodtime Louis when the final quarters were run in 27.5sec. and 28.7sec.
Goodtime Louis had every chance after a slow lead time of 38.1sec. and ambling opening quarters of 32.7sec. and 31.2sec.
Wave Rebellion, driven by her trainer Stuart McDonald, raced in tenth position before taking advantage of trailing Full Swing Denario in a three-wide move in the final circuit before getting to the front in the final 50m and winning by a length.
A fast start by Mystery Fred from the 40m handicap paved the way for the four-year-old’s half-length victory over the $3.60 favourite and 50m backmarker in the 2503m TABtouch Punters Club Handicap.
Driven by Toby Lynn for trainer Nigel Johns, Mystery Fred, a $7.20 chance, ran on from sixth at the bell to get to the front 250m from home.