Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Tough eight-year-old Mister Macedon thrives on working hard in his races, and he was seen in his favourite role in the breeze when he scored a fighting victory in the $21,000 Team Bond Leading Trainers Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Polemarker and $71 outsider Sporting Grace set the pace after resisting early challenges from Name In Lights ($71) and the $1.95 favourite Vanderbilt, who raced three wide for the first 500m before eventually getting to the front. Mister Macedon, who began out wide at barrier eight, settled down in tenth position before Emily Suvaljko sent him forward to move to the breeze after a lap.
Mister Macedon applied plenty of pressure on Vanderbilt in the final circuit before taking a narrow lead with about 100m to travel and beating Vanderbilt by a half neck, rating 1.56.8.
Mister Macedon raced on four consecutive Friday nights in January before trainer Nathan Turvey gave him last Friday week off.
“He didn’t race the previous Friday night, and that obviously worked wonders,” said Suvaljko. “He travelled the best he has ever travelled. He loves being up there on the pace, so we drive him like that (in the breeze) every week. He is Nathan’s favourite horse around the stables.”
Mister Macedon, a former Victorian performer, was a cheap purchase for Turvey last year and the gelding now has had 18 starts in WA for four wins and seven placings for Turvey and part-owners Michael Hill, Justin Bugg and Adrian Pensini. Friday night’s win improved Mister Macedon’s record to 85 starts for ten wins, 28 placings and $107,657.
Greatgreat Boulder, the $3.60 second favourite in Friday night’s race, ruined his chances at the start when he overraced in the score-up, contacted the arm of the mobile barrier and broke into a bad gallop, losing several lengths. He made up a good deal of ground to finish seventh.
“Greatgreat Boulder launched at the gate, hit the arm and galloped,” said his driver Deni Roberts. “He used to do that quite often but hadn’t done it for a while.”