Patrickthepiranha Overcomes Rivals And Unexpected Obstacles
16 March, 2019
Harness
The Colin Brown-trained Patrickthepiranha has shown yet again why he’s the horse to beat for next month’s WA Derby, following an eventful running of the Sales Classic (2130m) for the three-year-old colts and geldings at Gloucester Park last night.
In a race marred by an incident where two spectators threw shoes on to the track, all six horses managed to get around safely and it was Patrickthepiranha that outlasted the rest.
Brown also had Its Rock And Roll in the $50,000 event, which he drove, while Dylan Egerton-Green took the drive on Patrickthepiranha.
The veteran reinsman tried to find the front on Its Rock And Roll, but Shockwave was able to hold the front from barrier three.
The early speed allowed Patrickthepiranha to settle behind the leaders and gain the perfect run throughout.
Patrickthepiranha hit the front with 100m left, before $91 outsider Walsh flashed down the outside late to almost cause a major upset.
The Four Starzzz Shark gelding held on to win by a head and ran home in 58.9.
Egerton-Green said he was impressed by Patrickthepiranha’s performance and was fortunate to avoid a serious accident after the incident.
“We actually didn’t see it, so he was fine,” he told RWWA Harness.
“The horse went good and he’s probably got a bit of room for improvement off that run.
“I don’t think he saw Walsh coming.
“He always finds the front then switches off a bit, so I’ve probably got a bit of training to do there.”
Egerton-Green said he was confident Patrickthepiranha could go to the WA Derby on April 6 without another run, but said the Group 2 Western Gateway next week could be a suitable option.
Brown said he would consider running Its Rock And Roll in the Western Gateway next week as well.
In the filly’s edition of the Sales Classic, Has No Fear proved too classy for her rivals in scoring a 7.4m victory.
Elsewhere on the night, Eloquent Mach and Major Trojan continued to enhance their WA Derby claims, running first and second respectively in the WA Derby Prelude (2130m).
The pair finished produced a repeat of the result from the Battle Of Bunbury last Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Handsandwheels justified his short-priced quote to take out the Group 2 4&5YO Championship (2130m) for the Andrew De Campo stable.
Handsandwheels was able to control the race from barrier one and never looked like being beaten.
Vincenzo Peruggia and Lord Willoughby filled the minor placings.
In the Free-For-All event of the evening, consistent pacer The Bucket List made a well-deserved return to the winners circle, storming home to beat Whozideawasthis and Vultan Tin.
Tim Walker
Image: Scott Hamilton