Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Emerging star square gaiter Hold That Gold is at the top of his game and is poised to extend his winning sequence to eight when he begins from barrier four in the $31,000 Trotters Sprint over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Bunbury trainer Bob Mellsop declares that the six-year-old’s sparkling gate speed is Hold That Gold’s biggest asset, and Deni Roberts will be anxious to use that ability when he begins from the No. 4 barrier.
Hold That Gold led easily from barrier three before he set a brisk pace and won comfortably at a 1.58.8 rate over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday afternoon after defying an early challenge from outsider Mriya Dream. He dashed over the final 400m sections in 28.5sec. and 28.3sec. and scored by 5m from the strong-finishing Line The Starzzz.
That followed Hold That Gold’s all-the-way win over Patched at Gloucester Park last Friday week. It was a strong effort by Patched who worked hard without cover all the way. Hold That Gold has certainly progressed since he was a $41 outsider when he began from the back line, raced at the rear and finished ninth in the Trotters Sprint last January.
Pinjarra trainer David Young is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky for Patched on Friday night when the eight-year-old will be contesting the Trotters Sprint for the third year in a row. He will be driven by Aiden De Campo and should enjoy a good passage after being the only runner off the back line.
Patched has been the beaten favourite in the past two Trotters Sprints. He was a $1.50 chance when he began from barrier five and raced five back on the pegs before finishing solidly into third place behind the pacemaker Luvaflair and Line The Starzzz in March 2023.
Patched was the $3 favourite when he started from the No.1 barrier in the Trotters Sprint last January. He galloped badly and dropped back to a distant last before making up a lot of lost ground with a fast-finishing eighth placing behind the frontrunning Our Maestoso.
Busselton trainer Barry Howlett prepared Our Maestoso, and he will be hoping to repeat the dose with lightly-raced six-year-old mare Sunnys Little Rose, who will begin from the No. 1 barrier with Chris Voak in the sulky.
Sunnys Little Rose will be making her third appearance at Gloucester Park — where she raced in the breeze and won from Tilthesunsets in a 2503m stand last August and then raced in fifth place and fought on to finish fourth behind Hold That Gold four Fridays ago.
Waroona trainer Nigel Johns, who has enjoyed outstanding successes with trotters this century, holds a strong hand in Friday night’s event, with four of the ten runners — Aldebaran Sundown, Dark Secret, Sellune and Luvaflair. He will drive Aldebaran, who is capable of figuring in the finish after starting from the No. 2 barrier.