Palatino NZ Surprises at Bunbury
With his last win in August 2020, Palatino has been runner-up eight times in his last 24 starts, with the five-year-old more than deserving of the win on Saturday night for trainer and driver Cody Wallrodt. Giving value punters plenty to smile about, saluting at $17 odds, Palatino NZ worked to the lead within a few hundred metres from release point, holding on to win by a head in 1:58:4 over the 2100m trip.
“I thought he’d run fourth after the way he performed the start before. I lost a lot of confidence in him,”
“But as soon as the one galloped and I was able to find the front, I thought I would definitely run top two.” Wallrodt said.
Bettors Destroya is yet to fail to salute the judge at the races and Saturday was no exception, with the Justin Prentice trained three-year-old taking top spot in the first at Bunbury. Driven by Gary Hall Jnr, the $1.65 favourite led all the way over the 1609m sprint trip around Donaldson Park and clocked a mile rate of 1:56:2.
The once troublesome Stirup Iron Jack recorded his second career win in race two, after a last start second at Bunbury just two weeks ago. Having just his third start in a race, the six-year-old was three-wide early, working his way to the breeze to finally take front position just after the bell and went on to win by 4.5m in 1:59:1 over the 2100m trip for Dennis Russell and Emily Suvaljko.
After causing a false start at the first attempt, Kitty Go Round redeemed herself after taking out the third on the card for local trainer John Graham, giving Emily Suvaljko a race-to-race double, and her second from four wins on the night. After leading all the way from barrier one, she ended a losing sequence of 13 and almost 10 months between wins in 1:59:0 over 2100m.
Emily Suvaljko’s winning ways continued into race five when she was on board the $1.45 favourite Sahara Storm for Nathan Turvey over the 2569m journey. Starting from barrier six, Suvaljko worked forward early to settle in the breeze briefly before working their way to the lead with two laps to go. Going on to win by 2.2m in 2:00:2, the three-year-old came off a last start second in metropolitan company and a win in town just two starts ago, with the filly looking to have a bright future in WA.
What a night it was for reinswoman Emily Suvaljko, with the 21-year-old walking away with a driving quadrella, with race six rounding out her winners on board Fatal Attack. Trained by in-form Michael Young, the four-year-old joined his stable just two starts ago and after a last start third at Pinjarra, recorded his first win for the new stable. Starting off the 10m handicap in the standing start, Fatal Attack settled midfield, making his move 400m from home and got the win by a head in 2:04:2 over the 2503m.
Bob Mellsop and Kyle Harper joined forces in race seven to get the win with Apollo Rock. With just over six months between drinks, the five-year-old has been racing in good form and finally got the rewards on Saturday night over the 2100m, mile rating in 1:58:8 and winning by a margin 5.7m over his rivals.
The Linebacker NZ saluted in the last for Barry Howlett and Chris Voak after leading all the way from barrier three. The two-year-old brought up his second career win in just eight starts and went on to win comfortably by 8.5m in 1:57:1.
Ashleigh Paikos