Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Not even the back mark of 30 metres could prevent Carana from scoring an easy victory in the $35,000 Hoist Solutions Marathon Handicap over 3309m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The seven-year-old New Zealand-bred Carana was the $3.40 second favourite who settled down in last position in the field of ten before he followed the three-wide run of fellow backmarker Otis ($9.50) who dashed forward with 1900m to go.
Rock Artist ($3.70) took the lead after 400m and was inclined to over race after the pull-down block blinkers malfunctioned early. This resulted in fast second and third 400m quarters being run in 28.7sec. and 28.2sec.
Carana enjoyed an ideal passage, one-out and one-back, following Otis for almost two laps before he sprinted strongly to get to the front 130m from the post and beat Rock Artist by 4m, with a final quarter of 29sec.
Deni Roberts, driving Carana for champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond, admitted she was a little concerned when Carana was well back at the rear after a lap. “We were well back behind the leaders and racing in single file after a very slow lead time,” she said.
“But then we managed to make up the ground pretty easily. Carana has been running a lot quicker times recently. He is an older horse who is still learning his craft. He has a lot of ability, and hopefully he can transfer that to the mobiles.”
It now appears that Carana, a standing-start specialist, will revert to mobile events because he is sure to be given extremely difficult tasks from testing back marks.
He certainly has the ability to perform strongly in open class mobile events, with Roberts saying: “Sat up, he’s very fast.”
Carana, a gelding by champion sire Bettors delight, has an outstanding record in stands in Western Australia with his 21 runs in stands here producing 12 wins and five placings, after winning two stands from nine starts in New Zealand.