Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Whatabro, an easy winner a week earlier, was disregarded by punters at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he started from out wide at barrier eight in the 2130m George Franklin Pace.
He was a $41 outsider on the fixed market and was a $30.40 chance on the tote.
However, reinsman Chris Voak, noted for his aggression, refused to concede defeat and he set Whatabro alight, and the experienced six-year-old burst straight to the front despite Aiden De Campo getting $91 outsider Pradason away brilliantly from the outside barrier in the field of nine.
Whatabro settled quickly and he covered the opening quarter of the final mile in 30.7sec. before he responded to Voak’s urgings and sprinted over the next two 400m sections in 28sec. and 27.7sec. and then covering the final quarter in 29.2sec. to win easily at a 1.55.1 rate, beating the $1.50 favourite Don’t Bother Me None by 2m.
“I didn’t think it was the fastest front line, and Whatabro has good gate speed,” explained Voak. “I couldn’t have timed it any better and we got an absolute flyer. I thought that Whatabro would be capable of running 1.56, but I didn’t expect him to go 1.55.1. When these older horses get to the front, they like it. Running those sectionals rated the others out of it.”
Whatabro, trained by Michael Brennan, has been a wonderful moneyspinner, earning $225,767 from 27 wins and 40 placings from 125 starts. Brennan is now setting the Victorian-bred Whatabro for next Friday night’s $50,000 Governor’s Cup.