Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Classy colt Waverider resumed racing after a 20-week absence in splendid style at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was not extended in winning the $20,250 Bridge Bar Pace.
This was an ideal warm-up for the $100,000 Pearl Classic on August 25, the qualifying heats of which will be run ten days earlier.
“Waverider does only what he has to,” said trainer Ryan Bell after Kyle Symington had driven the colt to an all-the-way win on Friday night at his first appearance over 2130m.
He was the $1.20 favourite and after a slow lead time of 39.3sec. and ambling opening quarters of 32.6sec. and 30.8sec. he covered the third 400m section in 29.4sec. before sprinting over the final quarter in 26.9sec.
“Kyle said he was doing it easily,” said Bell. “He needed the run. There is nothing at home in his age group that can test him, apart from Franco Encore, and he’s not a horse who gets gutted at home.”
Waverider, who beat $26 chance Menemsha by a half-length, is unbeaten after three starts at Gloucester Park. His stablemate and last-start winner Heez A Vibe finished last in the field of six on Friday night after he pulled hard early and was restrained to the rear.
Bet The House ($20) raced in fourth position before he ran home strongly to finish third.