Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Victorian-bred pacer Bettors Pride has recovered from a leg injury, and he impressed with a runaway victory in the TABtouch Same Game Multi final over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
A damaged tendon kept him on the sidelines for eight months, and he now has resumed racing in fine style with three wins from five appearances in his current campaign.
Driven by Shannon Suvaljko, he was the $3.90 second fancy who stole a march on his chief rival and $1.60 favourite Mikis Beach when he beat him out at the start and then was able to relax with a slow lead time of 38sec. and a dawdling opening quarter of 31.3sec.
Mikis Beach, who began from the No. 3 barrier on the immediate inside of Bettors Pride, was forced to race without cover all the way before finishing a 13m second after final quarters of 29.1sec., 27.9sec. and 28.4sec.
“We weren’t a hundred per cent sure he could lead but we decided to have a crack and see what happens,” said trainer Mike Reed. “And everything turned out perfectly.”
“Bettors Pride looked like he was going to be a very good horse before he hurt a tendon about 12 months ago. It wasn’t bowed; he had just knocked it, so we gave him a spell. I now think he is capable of going to fast class.”
Bettors Pride is by Bettors Delight and is the eighth foal out of Art Start, who raced 56 times for 14 wins, 12 placings and $45,936. Art Start has produced seven winners of 92 races, including Expensive Ego, who earned $992,307 from 25 wins and 13 placings from 57 starts. A winner of three Group 1 events, Expensive Ego finished a head second to Boncel Benjamin in the final of the Interdominion championship at Menangle in December 2021.
Bettors Pride has won at four of his seven starts for earnings of $31,258.