Gasoline knows when to put foot to floor
Experience and temperament are gold in two-year-old races.
Gasoline proved that when he outran the opposition in Saturday’s $50,000 Coca-Cola 1100 at Ellerslie.
Gasoline went into the race with a Te Teko barrier trial win behind him and he finished second to Xiong Feng at Te Rapa recently.
As much as that background helped the colt run straight and true on Saturday, winning rider Opie Bosson says Gasoline’s bomb-proof temperament is his real strength.
“He’s so lovely and quiet. When I rode him at Te Rapa I grabbed him up soon after the start and he came straight back under me.”
Debut runner Mongolian Falcon was the next-best backed after the winner on the strength of a stylish Avondale barrier trial victory.
Young horses having their first run at Ellerslie have a lot to look at and can lose concentration in the home straight. That seemed to be the case with Mongolian Falcon and he had a further problem when axed out of the barriers, being squeezed back to clear last. He made a quick move around the field at the 500m, but was doing a fair bit wrong while Gasoline was establishing a break in the home straight. Given all that, he did well to finish third with I Am Gracie doing well to take second.
Winning co-trainer
Andrew Forsman believes Gasoline will become a good racehorse. “He’s very immature yet and will get better.”
Gasoline looks compact and an ideal two-year-old type, but Bosson says that’s not the impression when you’re on the colt’s back. “He’s got a lot of stretch about him and a lovely stride. He’s lovely to ride.”
Leith Innes turned into the home straight on hot favourite Sacred Master in the opening race of the Ellerslie carnival on Saturday and said to himself “OMG”.
Innes couldn’t believe how far behind he was from the stablemate Maid of Steel, who had shot clear in the lead on the home turn.
“I got a hell of a fright to see how far the mare was in front of me.”
It’s a good thing Innes has a massive opinion of Sacred Master, who had been last out of the barriers.
And it was well placed. Although, as usual, Sacred Master took 50m to slide through his gears when Innes asked for the real power, once up to top speed he quickly grabbed Maid Of Steel and forged clear.
It could not have been a more impressive trial for the $75,000 Dunstan Final on January 1.
“We’ve know for a long time how good this horse is, but he had so long away from racing after he tore a muscle in his hindquarter.”
Maid Of Steel fought strongly for second and Nymph Monte ran on well for third.