Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Eight-year-old Patched is showing no signs of declining, and he overcame the back mark of 50 metres and a strong late challenge from Chumani to win the $21,000 Garrard’s Horse And Hound @ Melton Trot at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
He rated a smart 2.1.1 to equal the track record for a trotter in a 2503m standing-start race. Mr Sundon began from 10m when he won by six lengths from Tokyo Joe on January 3, 2020.
This shows that trainer David Young and reinsman Aiden De Campo probably underestimated his performance, with both saying that he appeared to be below his best.
“He made hard work of it, and I think he can go a lot better,” said De Campo. “I think that in his old age he is getting a bit cunning.”
Young agreed, saying: “Aiden said he wasn’t as sharp as he was the previous Friday night when he won a 2130m mobile race. He is a cunning old horse, and he put his head out on the line tonight, just like the old Patched.
“His strength has always been his high speed, but as he has got older, he has got a lot tougher. They ran along tonight when Majestic Marion ran a fast lead time of 29.4sec., with Patched probably running the lead time in about 68sec. And then he has done a lot of chasing.”
Patched, the $2.60 favourite, was well back in seventh position in the field of nine with two laps to travel. He moved forward into the breeze with 1350m to travel, with Chumani ($4.80) and starting off the 40m mark, following him.
Patched took a narrow lead on the home turn and he fought on determinedly to hold Chumani at bay.
“Patched will keep racing until he tells us he doesn’t want to do it anymore. He’s happy, he loves racing and at home is as bright as a button. After winning four times in Victoria, he has won another 22 times for Young in WA and has amassed $292,301 in prizemoney.