Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
WA-bred five-year-old Eldaytona went into Friday night’s 2130m Cowden 1972 To Present Day Pace with a losing sequence of 13 stretching over a six-month period, but with part-owner and trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper quietly confident that he could win, providing he was able to set the pace.
Eldaytona, a $3.30 chance from barrier four, mustered good early pace and Harper was able to dash him to the front after 220m.
After a lead time of 37sec. and opening quarters of 30.3sec. and 29.4sec. Eldaytona sprinted strongly with final 400m sections of 28.7sec. and 28.1sec. on his way to winning by a length and a half from $13 chance Onesmartfella, who trailed him throughout. He rated 1.56.
“I was a little disappointed last week (when Eldaytona finished a head second to The Code Breaker),” said Harper. “He lacked speed early and speed late. So, I freshened him up during the week, and was confident that if he could lead, he could win.
“And he won quite well; I was pleased with him. He is a high-quality horse and I have a good opinion of him. He raced Mighty Ronaldo, Lavra Joe and horse of that calibre during his two-year-old campaign before he missed the three-year-old season with an injury.
“Eldaytona hadn’t won for quite a while before tonight, but he has been racing against good horses and has had bad barriers. Tonight, he broke a minute in the middle half and ran 28.7sec. down the back and 28.1sec. home, and I felt he had a lot more there.
“I’m hoping that after a spell he will be able to step up to the next grade.” He has raced 29 times for 14 wins, 16 seconds and five thirds for $173,186 in prizemoney.