Ten-year-old Whozideawasthis showed that he still has plenty of natural speed in his old legs when he sprinted home fast from the 400m to get up and snatch a last-stride victory by a half-head over the pacemaker Lord Rosco in the 2130m The West Australian Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“He has done a great job for a horse who has done a tendon a couple of times,” said star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. “He damaged a tendon after he had gone through the grades, and then when we brought him back the injury flared up again.”
Injuries forced him out of action for nine months, between June 2018 and March 2019 and for ten months, between December 2019 and October 2020. He has been sound in recent months and his win on Friday night when a $3 favourite ended a losing sequence of eleven.
“He has to be driven one way (as a sit-sprinter),” said Hall. “He was pushed four wide on the final bend and has done a good job. He put the writing on the wall the previous week when he got home well and ran good time when fourth behind Galactic Star and Vultan Tin in a 2536m Free-For-All.”
Whozideawasthis won nine races in New Zealand before he raced 29 times in New South Wales for just four wins, all at Penrith, before part-owner Albert Pizzuto sent him over to WA to be prepared by Gary Hall Snr. He has performed in fine style for Hall, with his 61 starts, all at Gloucester Park, producing 13 wins and 15 placings. He now has a fine record of 107 starts for 26 wins, 18 placings and stakes of $291,916.
His win on Friday night completed a treble for Hall and his son, who combined earlier in the program for wins with Jumpingjackmac and Diego.
Diego, the $1.20 favourite, gave a sample of his class with a powerful victory in the 2536m Direct Trades Supply Pace. From the No. 3 barrier Diego raced three wide early before surging to the front after 600m. He gave his rivals little chance by dashing over the final quarters in 28.7sec. and 27.5sec. and he ended a losing run of seven by beating the early leader Extreme Prince ($14) by 11m.
“Diego went super, and that was probably more like the Diego we know,” said Hall Jnr. Diego, a Bettors Delight five-year-old, had 17 starts in New Zealand for three wins and five placings, and his 17 appearances in WA have resulted in seven wins and four placings.
by Ken Casellas