Ken Casellas | Photo: Pacepix
Five-year-old WA-bred gelding Peligroso has resumed after a five-month absence in fine form, with two easy all-the-way wins for Baskerville trainer Ryan Bell and young reinsman Kyle Symington.
But it certainly hasn’t been all plain sailing with Peligroso, according to Bell, who said the gelding had caused him many headaches early in his career.
“I had a lot of trouble with him as a young horse,” said Bell. “He got really crook just before the Sales races, and he has never been the same since. It was something internal, and it is only now that we have been happy with him — three years later.”
Peligroso was the $1.60 favourite from the No. 1 barrier in the 1730m Allwood Stud Farm Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and Symington drove him with great confidence to an all-the-way victory by two lengths over $18 chance Cloud Nine, who ran home strongly from ninth at the bell.
Peligroso, who rated 1.56.3, has had 50 starts for nine wins and 11 placings for earnings of $64,318. He is by American sire Captaintreacherous, and is out of Courage Under Fire, who raced 90 times for 12 wins, 25 placings and $102,378 in stakes.
He is a half-brother to the ill-fated Valedictorian, who died late last year after racing ten times last year as a two-year-old for five wins and two placings for earnings of $132,647. He won the Group 1 Sales Classic and the Group 2 Gold Bullion final and finished second to Never Ending in the Pearl Classic.
“Peligroso’s record over a mile is not too good, but most of those runs were from wide barriers or when he was outclassed,” said Bell. “This was only the third or fourth time in his career that he was able to jump on the bunny and paint the rail and go on and win.”