Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Flying Rumour was a $14.50 chance when he began from the outside barrier (No. 9) in the 2130m Intersport Slater Gartrell Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and Shannon Suvaljko’s decision to set the gelding alight with a three-wide burst from the rear after 250m paid handsome dividends.
Regal Cheval, the $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, dawdled through the lead time in 37.9sec. which prompted Suvaljko to seize the initiative to send Flying Rumour forward and into the breeze.
And when $7 chance Rocknroll Elliot dashed forward in the first circuit to move to the breeze it gave Flying Rumour a perfect sit in the one-out, one-back position. However, Flying Rumour was soon shuffled back to sixth in the one-wide line when Chris Voak sent $21 chance Sugar Street to the breeze.
Sugar Street took a narrow lead in the home straight before Flying Rumour surged home to get up and beat him by a neck, rating 1.57.6, with final quarters of 28.7sec. and 28.1sec. Regal Cheval was a nose away in third place.
Flying Rumour, bred and owned by Kim Marsh, and trained by Mike Reed has been a handy moneyspinner who has earned $128,357 from 11 wins and 14 placings from 44 starts.
The five-year-old is by Fly Like An Eagle and is the last foal out of Stage Whisper, whose earlier foals Extreme Dreams (84 starts for 14 wins, 18 placings and $138,340) and All The Whispers (60 starts for seven wins, ten placings and $47,751) were handy performers.