Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Exciting New Zealand-bred three-year-old Chase Me will need to race more generously around the 804m Gloucester Park circuit before developing into a serious contender for the $200,000 Group 1 WA Derby on October 31.
That’s the verdict of the gelding’s reinsman Gary Hall Jnr, who drove him to a comparatively easy victory at his Australian debut when he led all the way in the $23,000 Holey Moley Where Is Rolly Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Chase Me’s six New Zealand appearances have all been at Auckland’s Alexandra Park where the races are run in a clockwise direction, the opposite way races are run at Gloucester Park.
“We know he’s good, but we have a lot of work to do to try to straighten him out and be more adaptable to our style of racing,” said Hall.
“It’s a bit like one of those trolleys no one wants to use at the supermarket, one with a bunged wheel. He is definitely a work in progress, but there is plenty to work with.
“He is actually a very good pacer but has trouble on the bends where he loses all his momentum. However, he is good in the straights. Now we’ve got to try to sort it all out. He has everything on at the moment, including a pole and a Murphy Blind on the nearside to try to straighten him up.
“He is not a silly horse, so he might come good. He’s not the horse we need him to be, going around the way he did tonight. Hopefully, he learns, or something clicks with him.”
Chase Me was the $1.10 favourite from the No. 1 barrier on Friday night when he was able to dawdle through the lead time in a very slow 39.3sec. and the opening 400m section in 31.4sec. before increasing the tempo with final quarters of 29.4sec., 27.9sec. and 28.3ec. He rated 1.58.1.
Chase Me, who is prepared by champion trainer Gary Hall Snr, is still quite inexperienced, having had seven starts for four wins, three placings and stakes of $78,870.
He is by Downbytheseaside and is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Delicata, who raced 22 times for two wins, four placings and $10,856. Delicata’s first foal Chase Auckland amassed $809,156 from 14 wins and nine placings from 35 starts.
While Delicata failed to flatter on the racetrack, her younger half-brother Hug The Wind (by Bettors Delight) earned $432,556 from ten wins, 13 seconds and eight thirds from 47 starts.