Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New Zealand-bred gelding Markham Eyre appreciated a drop in class when Deni Roberts drove him to a convincing victory in the 2130m Jerry Fraser Here For Taste Of WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He was the $3.80 second favourite from barrier five and Roberts had him travelling like a winner, in the one-out, one-back position, a long way from home, with the $1.85 favourite Zazu setting the pace.
Markham Eyre started a three-wide burst 250m from home and he swept to the front on the home turn and went on to beat Zazu by just over a length at a 1.57 rate after the final 800m was covered in 56.4sec.
Markham Eyre gave trainers Greg and Skye Bond their second winner on Friday — after Ryan Warwick was successful with three-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding Strength And Honour in a 1609m event at Bunbury in the afternoon.
And Roberts kept up the good work by winning with the Tom Groves-trained filly Hilo Louisa at Kellerberrin on Sunday.
Markham Eyre, a six-year-old by Sportswriter, has raced 18 times in WA for four wins and five placings, and he now boasts a record of ten wins and 12 placings for $90,638 in stakes from 67 starts. He is out of Southern Eyre, who raced 39 times for one win, eight placings and $19,836.
He was a 50/1 chance last Friday week when he failed to flatter in much stronger company and finished ninth behind Plutonium in the Group 2 Binshaw Classic.