Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Victorian-bred six-year-old Beefour Bacardi enhanced his claims as the State’s best trotter when he gave a bold frontrunning display to win the 2536m Bill Horn HRA Distinguished Service Award Winner Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Beefour Bacardi, the $1.40 favourite, revealed dazzling gate speed from the outside barrier in the field of six to burst straight to the front, thus leaving the talented five-year-old Patched ($2.05) with the task of following his arch rival.
Gary Hall Jnr gave Beefour Bacardi an easy time in the early stages, and the gelding simply ambled through the opening quarters of the final mile in 33.5sec. and 32.3sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.7sec. and 28.9sec.
Patched ran home strongly to finish only a half-length behind Beefour Bacardi, who recorded a modest 2.4.6 rate. Beefour Bacardi completed a winning treble for trainer Michael Young, who has started the gelding 19 times in WA for 14 wins and two second placings.
“His gate speed helped a lot,” said Young. “It gave us a little bit of an advantage over Patched. Beefour Bacardi may have only another few starts in WA, and maybe his owners would like to set him for the Trotters Interdominion championship series in Victoria later this year.”