Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Recent New Zealand import Coney Island Lou set the pace to win at his first two starts in Western Australia, but it appears that his best asset is his sparkling sit-sprint ability.
Coney Island Lou, trained by Gary Hall Snr, began from the outside barrier in the field of eight in the 2130m BOTRA, Thanking Industry Participants Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night when in-form reinsman Stuart McDonald restrained him back to a conspicuous last while the polemarker and $15 chance Lady Prima Donna was setting the pace after resisting a spirited challenge from the $3.30 equal second fancy Sorridere.
Crowd Control ($3.30) trailed the pacemaker until Mitch Miller eased him off the pegs at the bell to dash forward and eventually get to the front with about 225m to travel, after Sorridere had hit the front 250m earlier.
Whataretheodds, the $3 favourite, was seventh at the bell and he was running home strongly approaching the home turn before wilting to finish third. Coney Island Lou, a $7 chance, followed the run of Whataretheodds and was switched three wide approaching the home turn before sprinting powerfully to get up in the final stride to beat Crowd Control by a half-head, rating 1.56.7, with a final quarter of 28.1sec.
“Coney Island Lou is getting better with racing,” said McDonald. “He has had a couple of tractability issues, and they’ve been sorted out, and he is learning how to race in our style.
“He spent a lot of time in New Zealand being launched off the gate, so he has had to learn to go back and then come home.”
Coney Island Lou, a four-year-old by Sweet Lou, has won at three of his first five starts in Western Australia and he looks set to win many more races.