Gold Horseshoe Returns To The Winners Circle
The Reeves family was heavily represented in the first race at Bunbury on Wednesday, with Hayden Reeves preparing five of the seven runner in the standing start, as well as his father Colin Reeves preparing Gold Horseshoe, with the father and son duo fighting it out to the line, seeing age and experience come out triumphant in the end.
Gold Horseshoe who has been racing in good form has had four months between wins, broke a 15-start losing sequence and after starting at $10 odds, he was able to sit outside the leader and short priced favourite You Fly With Me NZ over the 2503m distance, coming home the better to take the win by 1.6m over Silent Reaction. In a winning mile rate of 2:03:4, the six-year-old started off the 30m handicap, with Reeves and driver Madeliene Young confident the gelding could get the job done on Wednesday.
It was quite fitting that the Busselton based trainer took out the Vale Pat Abbott Pace, with Colin Reeves on the committee of the Busselton Trotting Club. Pat Abbott, the secretary and treasurer of the club sadly passed away suddenly last week.
Aiden De Campo trained a treble on the card with Mega Mach taking out race two with Emily Johnson in the cart. Starting from barrier seven, the four-year-old came off a string of runner-up placings but broke through at Bunbury after coming from behind to win by 3.7m in 2:01:0 over the 2100m.
The second part of De Campo’s training double came up in race five when The Miki Taker took the narrow win over the $1.75 favourite. Driven by Aiden himself, the field raced in single file with De Campo settling four back on the pegs, but with 800m to go, he was pulled out and managed to find the front just before the line in 1:57:3 over the 2100m trip.
De Campo’s day ended on a high with Rockstar Rebel leading from start to finish in race seven. After beginning well from barrier five, the four-year-old was never in danger, going on to win by 3.7m in 2:00:0 over the 2100m.
Bayardo NZ started as the $2.15 favourite in race three for Kym Neal and Corey Peterson, and after being beaten for speed early the seven-year-old settled behind the leader throughout over the 2100m, and at the top of the straight was able to comfortably sail past the leader to win by 2m in 2:00:9.
Newcomer to the state Im Themightylucy made a winning debut to WA for Michael Young and Gary Hall Jnr in race four, with the three-year-old finding herself three back on the pegs after some early speed and changes in the opening stages. After finding a gap with around 200m to go, Hall Jnr was able to angle her out, going on to win by 3.9m in 2:00:2 over the 2100m.
Three-year-old Been Scootin has been racing in good form of late, finishing in the top three at all five starts this season for trainer Ray Jones. Having just his 11th start in a race, the gelding brought up his second career win for Chris Lewis, and after working forward to lead for the majority over the 2100m, he went on to win by 7.7m in 1:57:6.
Ashleigh Paikos