Change is as Good as a Holiday for Batavia Silverline
It was a quick turn around for Batavia Silverline, who backed up quickly from Saturday night at Northam to win for her new trainer Lang Inwood at Gloucester Park on Tuesday night. The five-year-old finished seventh on Saturday in the Avon for trainer Grace Inwood, before transferring to the stables of her brother, Lang after her run.
The win comes after string of unplaced runs next to her name and exactly 13 months since her last win, coincidentally also at Gloucester Park. The mare had been competitively racing in metropolitan company last season. After returning to racing in June after a short let up, Batavia Silverline had placed just the once in her last nine starts after coming up against competitive fields of late.
Starting from barrier 10, Shannon Suvaljko took the drive and landed three back on the pegs from the inside of the backline draw. With 600m to go, he eased off the pegs, forcing Inwoods other runner Seven Demerits three wide to make his run, taking out the third on the card by 6.6m in a mile rate of 1:59:1 over the 2130m journey.
“The race was run to suit, and she had the right run being three back on the pegs. Coming home in 61 instead of 56 suited her,”
“I feel for Grace though, she had hard fields and not a lot of luck. The credit goes to her, the horse is in good order.” Lang Inwood said.
It was another great night for Team Bond who prepared a consecutive winning double in races one and two.
Starting first up for Bonds, Tenzing Bromac NZ made it one from one since making the move to WA from New Zealand. Starting without a trial in the state, the $1.50 favourite started from barrier eight, he was too strong for his rivals, sitting outside the leader for the majority and claiming the win narrowly by a half neck in the opener in a mile rate of 1:56:8 over 2130m.
Ryan Warwick drove a double for Team Bond, with Maccas NZ breaking his run of seconds to win victoriously in race two by an impressive 49.8m in 1:57:7. The class runner started as the $1.05 favourite and was never in doubt when he led all the way from barrier one, taking his record to two wins and three seconds from just five starts in WA.
Euphoria NZ took out race four for Gary Hall Snr and Gary Hall Jnr. After a last start second after a short spell, the four-year-old recorded his seventh career victory in just 22 starts. The short priced favourite worked his way to the lead in the early stages from barrier six, winning by 5.6m in 1:59:0 over the 2536m staying trip.
There was a bit of excitement and terror in race five with Mark Reeds seat going amiss in the home straight at the front of the field on board La Suleiman, which saw locally bred and owned Nigel Ernest take the win at long odds for trainer David Thompson and driver Dylan Egerton-Green. With almost seven months between wins, the four-year-old gelding has been racing in consistent form, claiming victory in 1:58:2.
After doing a bit of work early, Lindsay Harper managed to work his way to the lead with Hengheng, taking out the sixth on the card for the trainer/driver. With an almost 10-month hiatus from the winners’ circle, the four-year-old double westbred gelding notched his fourth career victory from 31 starts. In a mile rate of 1:574 over the 2130m
Wearing black arm bands in the last in honour of Bob Sweet, it was fitting that the last was taken out by his son in law Donald Harper on board Star Of The Class for trainer Peter Anderson. The four-year-old mare led all the way in race seven, managing to hold the lead narrowly by a short-half-head in 1:59:1 over the 2130m trip.
Ashleigh Paikos