Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Stuart McDonald maintained his splendid form in the sulky when he gave a faultless exhibition to guide smart five-year-old mare Acharne Girl to a thrilling last-stride victory in the Group 3 $50,000 Kerry Clarke Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Acharne Girl, the $4.40 second fancy from the inside of the back line, trailed the pacemaker and $2.05 favourite Soho Seraphine before McDonald manoeuvred her off the pegs at the bell and then followed the breeze runner Three Rumours ($5) before finishing powerfully to get up in the final stride to beat Three Rumours by a half-head, with Beyond The Sea ($34) running home fast to finish a length farther back in third place.
Soho Seraphine, racing first-up after a 15-week absence, dead-heated for fourth with Sovrana ($21).
“The initial plan was to follow the frontrunning Soho Seraphine, but we had other plans up our sleeve,” said McDonald. “I thought that there was a chance of getting off (the pegs) at the bell, and that happened when I was able to ease Queeninthecorner three wide.
“The breeze horse (Three Rumours) kicked very well, and I was able to follow her all the way around to the home corner. I thought Acharne Girl should have won easier, but the margin was probably a testament to how good Three Rumours was.”
Acharne Girl, who is trained by Gary Hall Snr, has thrived under his care and has now earned $200,382 from eleven wins and nine placings from 33 starts.
She is by former star pacer Alta Christiano and is the fourth foal out of the Bettors Delight mare Slick Bird, who had 34 starts for ten wins, nine placings and $89,999. Acharne Girl is following in the footsteps of her half-brother Slick Artist (173 starts for 32 wins, 57 placings and $404,531) and her full-brothers While They Pray (46 starts for 16 wins, 13 placings and $180,037) and Faster Than Dad (47 starts for 13 wins, nine placings and $126,775).
The 29-year-old McDonald is enjoying one of his most successful seasons, and he is in fifth position on the WA drivers’ premiership table with 68 winners.
Star reinsman Gary Hall Jnr was disappointed that the Nathan Turvey-trained Three Rumours failed to win the big race, saying she deserved to after a tough run.
Three Rumours started from the No. 2 barrier on the back line and settled down in the one-out, two-back position before Hall sent her forward, three wide, after 700m to challenge the pacemaker Soho Seraphine. Three Rumours led by a neck at the 1250m and was a clear leader 250m from home.