Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Enigmatic mare Blaze Coops has ruined her winning prospects many times by racing fiercely. But the Victorian-bred seven-year-old was on her best behaviour at Gloucester Park on Friday night when she paced smoothly in front for Kyle Harper and held on to win the $23,000 Gordon and Cecelia Cox Pace by a narrow margin.
Blaze Coops, the $2.90 third favourite for part-owner and trainer Shane Tognolini, was smartest to begin from the No. 3 barrier and dawdled through the lead time in 38sec. and the opening quarter in 31sec.
The field of six raced in Indian file until Dylan Egerton-Green eased off the pegs with $9 chance Champagne Everyone 750m from home. This run was followed by the $2.80 second fancy Freyja, who was pushed three wide at the 550m mark when Unlucky was eased off the pegs.
Champagne Everyone took a narrow lead on the home bend, but Blaze Coops fought back and went on to win by a head from Freyja, with Champagne Everyone a head away in third place. Captainshavtime, the $2.50 favourite, raced in last position and was still last with 200m to travel before finishing solidly into fourth place.
“This looked on paper a suitable race for Blaze Coops,” said Harper. “I didn’t have to open her out of the gate, and she settled quite good. We just worked her way out of the gate and got a nice easy lead time, the slowest she has seen for a long time. If she starts to use her speed early, she doesn’t stop, and this can bring her undone.
“Hopefully, she can repeat the dose on Tuesday (when she begins from the No. 1 barrier in race seven over 2130m at Gloucester Park).” Her rivals include Freyja (barrier five) and Champagne Everyone (barrier three).
Blaze Coops is by American Ideal and is the sixth foal out of Safely Kept mare Cyclone Dora, who was unplaced at her nine Victorian starts in 2008 and 2009. She now has had 90 starts for 15 wins, 17 placings and $137,356.
Her elder half-brother Change Of Mind had a ten-year career in Queensland and New South Wales and earned $287,021 from 37 wins and 39 placings from 275 starts.