Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
The powerful combination of trainer Michael Young and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr completed a double at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Orlando Blue scored an impressive win in the $20,250 Retravision Pace.
Orlando Blue’s victory at $5.20 came two races after Young and Hall had won with Moonlite Drive. And the partnership kept up the good work when Ideal Tomado was successful in a 2130m event at Gloucester Park the following evening.
Ideal Tomado gave Young his 110th winner for the season and Hall his 236th win in the sulky. Then Hall ended the season in fine style by winning the final race on Saturday night, with $11.90 chance Yani Yani, last in the field of six at the bell, finishing gamely to get up in the final stride to win.
Orlando Blue started from the 10m mark in the 2503m standing-start event, in which Strauny dominated the betting and was a hot $1.85 favourite. But Strauny galloped at the start and Hall quickly asserted his authority and sent Orlando Blue sweeping to the front after 350m.
Hall gave his rivals little chance when he increased the tempo with Orlando Blue, who sped over the final 400m sections ion 27.8sec. and 28.1sec. and defeated his stablemate Cooper ($8.50) by just under a length. Aussie Scooter ($9.50) was a length farther back in third place.
Orlando Blue has earned $108,457 from ten wins and ten placings from 38 starts.
“I thought Orlando Blue was a good chance of winning,” said Young. “Obviously, Strauny would have been hard to beat if he had stepped (safely). But he didn’t step, and we did.”