Ken Casellas |
Mardella trainer Michael Young has Penny Black in peak form, and he is looking forward to the New Zealand-bred five-year-old clashing with brilliant speedster Steno in the $35,000 Golden Girls Mile over 1684m at Pinjarra on Monday of next week.
Penny Black gave an outstanding performance to win the $50,000 group 3 Lombardo Pace over 2536m at Gloucester Park on Friday night, and Young is confident she can beat Steno, providing she draws inside of her arch rival.
Steno, trained and driven by Jocelyn Young (no relation to Michael), was untroubled to set the pace and win easily from Machs Legacy and Cyclone Charlotte in the 2024 Golden Girls Mile 12 months ago.
“Penny Black is definitely capable of beating Steno if she draws inside of her,” said Michael Young. “I’d like to draw inside of Steno and then see her racing on the outside of Penny Black instead of the other way around.
“Penny Black’s performance tonight was simply super. The times don’t do her justice. Mentally, what she did is so hard to do, to chase the tearaway leader who was so far ahead.”
Penny Black, the $1.40 favourite, began well from the No. 5 barrier but was beaten out by Steno’s stablemates Peaceful (barrier three) and Castella Dellacqua (barrier two), leaving her racing without cover, a few lengths back in third place.
Peaceful, the $6 second favourite driven by Jocelyn Young, began to overrace fiercely and she careered away to lead by about eight lengths at the bell, following middle 400m sections of 28.3sec. and 28.7sec.
Penny Black, driven by Gary Hall Jnr, gradually made up ground in the back straight before getting to the front with 260m to travel and winning by just under a length from $23 chance Montana Glory, who fought on solidly after trailing Penny Black all the way. Peaceful faded to finish seventh.
“It was hard to do what she did tonight,” said Hall. “She is a great mare and is fun to drive. You never give up on her because she always has something there.”
Penny Black, who worked hard in the breeze when an excellent second to Steno in the 2130m Christmas Belles three starts ago, raced six times in New Zealand for one win and two placings, and has been most impressive in WA with her 15 starts for Young producing nine wins and four placings, taking her career record to 21 starts for ten wins, six placings and $149,309 in prizemoney.