Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jnr completed another brilliant display in the sulky at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he guided My Watchlist to an effortless victory in the final event, the $25,000 Westral Pace over 2130m.
This followed wins in the eight-race card with Hugotastic, Blameitonthenight, Penny Black and Fakenit, and it took his season’s tally to 63 wins, a lead of 27 over his nearest rival, Deni Roberts, on the drivers’ premiership table.
The New Zealand-bred My Watchlist, making his second appearance after a spell, was the $1.80 favourite from the No. 6 in the seven-horse field, and he was quite keen in the score-up, with Hall then restraining him, out wide, back to last before setting him alight and dashing forward after 200m to burst past Chaco Eagle ($4.80) with two laps to travel.
After a lead time of 36.6sec. My Watchlist dawdled trough the opening quarter of the final mile in 32.5sec. before increasing the tempo with quarters of 29.7sec., 28.9sec. and 28.1sec. He won by three lengths from $12 chance Kurious Boy, who finished solidly from sixth at the bell.
“I was in no-man’s land early and I had visions of the things I did with him at his previous start, restraining him back to last and then trying to make a run (out three wide in the last lap) when the pace was on,” said Hall.
“I elected to go against that tactic, and sometimes the wind (strong and gusty) can be your friend, and I don’t think they heard me coming.
“Once he got to the top he dropped the bit completely. I thought he might have overworked himself, fighting against me early. But he got to the line comfortably.”
My Watchlist has had only twelve starts for six wins, four seconds and $52,281. He won at two of his five New Zealand starts and his seven WA starts have produced four wins and two seconds.
He is by American sire Hes Watching and is the third foal out of Donnamach, who raced 16 times for two wins, two placings and stakes of $10,582.