Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Lightly-raced Victorian-bred mare Nullarbor Navajo is set for a successful campaign, following her easy victory in the 2130m Steelos Open Every Race Night Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
This was her second win from three starts after an eight-month absence, and it completed a driving double for Stuart McDonald, who was successful earlier in the night with Thomson Bay.
McDonald (29) then travelled to Albany where he landed four winners for trainer Michael Young on Saturday night.
Nullarbor Navajo is trained by 23-year-old Corey Peterson, who opted to go to Busselton to drive three pacers for trainer Matt Scott and 15 minutes before Nullarbor Navajo’s victory Peterson guided four-year-old Mikipelo ($2.50) to a runaway five-length victory over Im the Best in the $14,696 Busselton Cup over 2680m.
Peterson’s partner Cassie Abbott was the stand-in trainer for Nullarbor Navajo, and she said that the mare would be set for upcoming feature events for mares. “Corey has a high opinion of her,” she said.
Nullarbor Navajo, the $1.30 favourite from the No. 1 barrier, set a moderate pace early before sprinting the final 400m sections in 27.4sec. and 28.1sec. as she defeated the breeze horse Ima Fivestar General ($6) by five metres, rating 1.56.1.
This took Nullarbor Navajo’s record to 39 starts for 11 wins, 12 placings and $94,352. She is by American stallion Betterthancheddar and is the fifth foal out of Courage Under Fire mare Teen Dreams, a winner of three Victorian country events from 34 starts.