Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Veteran square gaiter Patched enhanced his reputation as WA’s best trotter when he had little difficulty in overcoming the back mark of 60 metres and scoring an easy win in the $21,000 HTA Rent A Gen Trot over 2503m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“It was the best he has felt for a long time,” said reinsman Aiden De Campo after Patched, a $7.70 chance, won by just under a length from $9 chance Line The Starzzz, who began off the 10m mark and enjoyed a perfect run behind the pacemaker and $2.45 favourite Sunnys Little Rose.
“We got a good start and a few missed away, and things worked out perfectly.”
Patched, trained in Pinjarra by David Young, has earned $257,110 from 23 wins and 31 placings from 83 starts.
There were a couple of lengthy delays before Friday night’s race got under way. First, $101 outsider Majestic Courtney reared and fell while waiting for the starter was getting ready to send the field on its way.
After an examination from the course veterinary surgeon, Majestic Courtney was withdrawn from the race. And then, a false start was declared after the polemarker Sunnys Little Rose was badly inconvenienced when the front-line barrier strand became entangled in the mare’s front legs.
At the re-start $8.50 chance Elegant Peak stood flat-footed and simply trailed his rivals all the way. Patched quickly dashed forward and settled down in sixth position before De Campo seized the initiative by sending the eight-year-old forward to move to the breeze at the bell and then take up the running with 600m to travel.
Sunnys Little Rose faded to finish ninth, while Aldebaran Sundown and Chumani ran home solidly to finish third and fourth, respectively.