Mid-Week Gloucester Park Wrap Up
Stamford NZ saluted in the first on the card, with the lightly raced three-year-old recording his fifth career victory from just seven starts, making it two in a row this time in. In a mile rate of 1:58:4, the $7 shot managed to run down the leader and short-priced $1.09 favourite Cowboys N Bandits NZ, claiming race one by 2.2m for trainer Ray Williams and driver Aldo Cortopassi.
After being runner-up his last two starts, it was All Black Rain’s night at headquarters with the five-year-old bringing up his second win in 20 starts for trainer Colin March and reinsman Chris Lewis. Recording a time of 1:59:7, All Black Rain sat in the breeze over the entire 2130m trip, coming out on top by a head in race two.
Resuming after a short freshen up, Iamthefirecracker claimed the third on the card at long odds for Bob Mellsop and Kyle Harper. Starting at $31 at release point, the five-year-old blew the start and lost a few metres, but quickly got back into his gear to settle at the rear over, with Harper putting the gelding three wide 400m from home, running down the leaders in the finish to take out race three by a head in 2:00:8 over the 2130m journey.
Bringing up his second win in just four starts since entering the stables of Nathan Turvey in June this year, Leosabi started from the back line and came from behind to win with ease in a mile rate of 1:57:9, spacing the field by 19.4m for reinswoman Emily Suvaljko in race four.
“His owners sent him over as they thought he would be a good earner over here, he’s on a low mark so we will stay in the country.” Turvey said.
At start 101, Pierre Whitby brought up his 13th career win for trainer Debra Lewis and driver Jocelyn Young. At just five-years-old, the consistent gelding brought his earnings up to $125,741, coming from behind to win the fifth on the card by 2.1m in 1:59:6 over the 2536m distance.
Faster Than Dad continued his good form, recording his second win at just his third start for trainer Gary Hall Jnr and reinsman Gary Hall Jnr. The $1.38 favourite started from barrier three and settled three back on the pegs throughout over the 2130m trip, pushing his way off the pegs at the 400m mark to win by a neck in 1:57:6. Stewards held tickets in the sixth, with Cachinnation declared a non-runner after going past the mobile prior to release point and gaining an unfair advantage.
Starting first up for Aiden De Campo, Yo Te Amo Haitch justified the $2.10 starting price when lining up from barrier one in the last for the new stable. Plagued with a string of bad barriers, the five-year-old mare hasn’t seen barrier one since October 2020 but made full use of her good luck on Tuesday, leading all the way to victory by 5.9m over her rivals in a mile rate of 1:59:3 over the 2130m.
Ashleigh Paikos