Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
In-form reinsman Stuart McDonald, fresh from his busiest and best season in 2024 when he drove 117 winners, was concerned that the well fancied $4.40 second favourite High Price could ruin his chances in the $31,000 Vale Glenyse Landquist Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night by overracing.
“I was a bit worried that if I fired him out from the No. 1 barrier he might start pulling,” McDonald said. “But he didn’t pull, and he was able to cruise to the front. And I was very happy after the slow lead time of 38.5sec. that he was going to be extremely hard to beat.”
The opening quarters were run in 29.9sec. and 30.8sec. before High Price sprinted strongly over the final 400m sections in 28.4sec. and 28.1sec. to win comfortably by a length from the $2.40 favourite and brilliant last-start winner Franco Ecuador, rating 1.57.7.
This was the third time that High Price had set the pace from the No. 1 barrier and won at Gloucester Park. He led from barrier one on debut as a two-year-old in September 2021 when he beat Paul Edward by two lengths.
Six-year-old High Price, prepared in Northam by Garry Sayers, looks set for further wins and should improve on his good record of 57 starts for ten wins, 19 placings and stakes of $131,717.
He is by the ill-fated former brilliant pacer Alta Christiano and is the first foal out of the Grinfromeartoear mare Harriet Price, who won twice from nine starts in New Zealand before managing one second placing from eight WA starts.
High Price’s full-brother, the highly promising four-year-old Alta Tribute has made an excellent start to his career, racing seven times last year for four wins and one placings for stakes of $40,643.
McDonald did not rest on his laurels after winning with High Price. He travelled to Albany on Saturday, and he landed a treble there in the evening, scoring with Tempt the Stars ($7.60), Princess Katie ($1.30) and Bonnie Pauline ($3.20)