Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
New Zealand-bred mare Penny Black revealed wonderful fighting qualities to race without cover before fighting on grimly to snatch a last-stride win by a half-head from the pacemaker and $2.25 favourite Insta Gator in the $23,000 Be Like Charlie Four-Year-Old Consolation over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“She wouldn’t be out of place in the Golden Nugget,” said reinsman Gary Hall. “She would be competitive and if she happened to draw to lead, she would take a lot of beating.”
Penny Black, the $2.80 second fancy from the No. 4 barrier, refused to give in during the tense struggle with Insta Gator in the home straight. The final quarters were run in 28.6sec. and 28.4sec. and the winner rated 1.54.9.
“She’s super,” said Hall. “She might lack that little yard of speed, but she really hasn’t had the chance to show it so far. What she lacks in speed, she makes up with her toughness.
“Michael (trainer Michael Young) has been bullish about her for a long time. We were looking forward to the Mares Classic but obviously the barrier (nine) completely took the race out of her reach.”
Penny Black looks set for highly successful career and should improve considerably on her record of 17 starts for eight wins, four placings and $91,374. Her eleven WA starts have produced seven wins and two placings.
Penny Black is by boom sire Sweet Lou and is the fourth foal out of unraced Rocknroll Hanover mare Tessa Rocks, whose half-sister Crystal Sparkles had 118 starts for 29 wins, 35 placings and $223,951. Crystal Sparkles was trained by Ross Olivieri when she had 20 starts in WA in 2019 for five wins and seven placings before continuing her career in the United States.