Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Victorian-bred four-year-old Bettors Pride has had a chequered career and is an inexperienced pacer with only ten starts under his belt.
But he has the ability to develop into a strong contender for the $200,000 Golden Nugget Championship on November 7, according to his trainer Mike Reed.
Bettors Pride was unable to race as a two-year-old and then had only two starts the following season before resuming this year as an immature four-year-old.
He excelled at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was tested at his first attempt over 2536m when he scored a fighting victory in the $27,000 Westral Window Blinds Pace. The Nugget is decided over the testing 2536m journey.
He began from barrier four as a $4.20 chance when he raced in the one-out, one-back position before finishing determinedly to win by a half-head from $8.50 chance Star Casino, rating 1.56.7 after the quarters of the final mile being run in 29.7sec., 28.7sec., 28.8sec. and 29sec.
Acushla Machree ($5) overraced in front before fading to finish fifth, while experienced six-year-old Star Casino maintained his splendid form to fight out the finish after working hard in the breeze.
“I always though Bettors Pride would be a good 2500m horse,” said his reinsman Shannon Suvaljko. “He is inexperienced and is still learning the caper, but I’m sure he will graduate to Free-For-Alls; he’s right up to that class. Mike has always had a huge opinion of him.”
“I think he is almost due for a bit of a break, but I need to sit down and work out a program leading into the Golden Nugget; that’s what I want to set him for. And the distance will suit him.
“As an early two-year-old he didn’t know what it was (racing) all about. He would sit behind them, and he’d look around. So, I suggested to owners Jim and Willie Giumelli to spell him and bring him back as a three-year-old.
“But after that he got a bad abscess in a foot and blew half his frog away, so I had to turn him out again. He finally made his debut at Northam in June 2024 when he won by more than twelve lengths.”
Bettors Pride has now raced ten times for five wins, one second placing and $50,999 in prizemoney. He is by bettors delight and is the eighth foal out of Queensland-bred mare Art Start, who raced 56 times in modest company for 14 wins, 12 placings and $45,936.
It is hoped that Bettors Pride will continue to improve and follow in the footsteps of his elder half-brother (by Rock N Roll Heaven) Expensive Ego, a winner of four Group 1 events and earning $992,307 from 25 wins and 13 placings from 57 starts.