Bull Surprise Stops Hall History
Gary Hall Jnr has fallen agonisingly short of an Australian record seven winners at one meeting at Gloucester Park last night, scoring six winners on the card and a second, third and fourth placing.
Hall Jnr had twice previously driven six winners at a meeting in October of both 2012 and 2013.
He drove the first five winners Balcatherine, Mr Kiwi, Mister Bushido, Just Rockon Bye, Gardys Legacy on the card.
The Hall of Fame driver then steered exciting trotter Princess Mila to victory in the penultimate race of the night.
Hall Jnr then teamed up with $1.38 favourite Chicago Bull in the Channel 7 Pace for the Free-For-All pacers, the last on the card.
The champion pacer looked well placed in the home straight to deliver Hall Jnr the record off the back of a sizzling 26.8 third quarter.
Hall Jnr was denied that feat when veteran pacer Our Jimmy Johnstone unleashed a powerful finishing burst to pinch the win by a half-head.
The win took Our Jimmy Johnstone’s record to a remarkable 31 wins from 137 career starts and stamped himself as being one of the in-form pacers in the state, despite being the ripe old age of 11-years-old.
Hall Jnr said Chicago Bull ran 26.8 “on his ear” and still felt Chicago Bull was on the way up this campaign, despite his third narrow defeat from five starts to go with his two wins.
Gardys Legacy justified his $1.08 starting price in the Perth Plasterboard Centre Pearl Classic (2130m), scoring a 4m win over Valentines Brook.
The Justin Prentice-trained Gardys Legacy ran home in 56.4 and rated 1.58.2 in the biggest win of his career.
Hall Jnr described the win as a comfortable one, as the Bettors Delight gelding took his record to seven wins from 14 starts.
Tim Walker
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