Line Up delivers for Troy
RACING: Many punters expected Troy Pascoe to continue on his winning way at Clifford Park, but while most proved wide of the mark with their selection there was no stopping the Toowoomba trainer adding to his successful week.
Pascoe saddled stable pair Line Up ($10) and $2.20 favourite Rapido Gris in the Pryde’s Easifeed Biomar Cubes Class 2 Handicap (1200m).
But while Rapido Gris was out of luck with a late-finishing third, Line Up saved the stable’s day with a strong finishing victory.
Line Up arrived for jockey Brad Pengelly to nail Accumulated ($20), who looked all over a winner at the 200metre mark, for a short-neck victory.
Rapido Gris was a further short neck back third.
“She drew the barrier one, and that really helped her,” Pengelly said.
“It was just a matter of keeping in touch with them without getting out of my ground.
“To her credit she finished the race off nice enough.
“She had a soft run and that helped her. That’s the benefit of barrier one.”
Pascoe, who was successful at Clifford Park on Tuesday with Victory Dance, said a six-week break between runs for Line Up was not a concern going into the race.
“She’s not a great doer so I wasn’t too worried about the break,” Pascoe said.
“She’s had enough work going into the race and Brad’s ridden her a treat, which also helped.”
Quart Pot ($3.80 fav) broke her Clifford Park “maiden” in good style for Toowoomba trainer Ducky Baker and jockey Emma Ljung with an authoritative win in the Pryde’s Easifeed Easiperformance Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m).
The Bel Esprit three-yearold beat off a brief challenge from runner-up Sir Bam ($9) at the 200 metres to score by 1½ lengths.
Quart Pot was unplaced in five previous Clifford Park starts but Saturday’s step in distance helped break her lean home run.
“She’s been very unlucky here a few times, but I have been running her over distances too short for her,” Baker said.
“It’s good to see her win for Emma too. She rides a lot of work for me.”
Ljung said improved luck in running allowed Quart Pot to produce her best.
“Once I got a good position, I just needed the gap to open up and she did the rest,” Ljung said.
Ljung went on to complete a winning race-to-race double aboard Scone visitor Another Sin ($3.70) in the Pryde’s Easifeed Racing Cube Class 4 Handicap (1050m).
Another Sin added to trainer Brett Cavanough and Ljung’s midweek success with Rhyming Puppet when he staved off King Of The Desert ($4.20) to score by a short neck.