Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Veteran pacer Prince Of Pleasure enhanced his prospects of gaining a start in the $300,000 Fremantle Cup next Friday night with a bold frontrunning display to score an easy win in the $31,000 TABtouch Parliamentarians Cup over 2536m at Gloucester Park Friday night.
The New Zealand-bred eight-year-old was making his third appearance after a 17-month absence as he recovered from his third bowed tendon.
He was the $1.80 favourite from the coveted No.1 barrier and Gary Hall Jnr rated him perfectly with final quarters of 30.1sec., 28.6sec. 28.1sec. and 28.7sec. to win by just over two lengths from $23 chance Ima Fivestar General, who trailed him throughout.
Prince Of Pleasure, trained by Gary Hall Snr, rated 1.56.5 and improved his record to 42 starts for 16 wins and nine placings for stakes of $247,583. He is by Bettors Delight and is the second foal out of the Christian Cullen mare Holly Madison, who raced 17 times for five wins, five placings and $43,101.
Prince Of Pleasure had eight starts as a two and three-year-old in New Zealand for one win before being purchased by a WA syndicate. He won at his first seven WA starts in 2022 and his WA record is an impressive 34 starts for 15 wins and eight placings.
“He went super tonight,” said Hall Snr. “Running those times tonight showed that he is good enough to be competitive in the Fremantle Cup in which the distance of 2936m will suit him. With all my horses the further the distance the better they go.”
Hall holds the record of ten wins in the Fremantle Cup, and twelve months ago his sole runner Jumpingjackmac ($13) set the pace and finished a neck second to Catch A Wave.