Six-year-old gelding Glenledi Elvis ($3.50) set a new 2200m track record in Launceston on Sunday night, when claiming the Bevan Lees Butchery Stakes (2200m).
Driver Rohan Hillier took the Conor Crook-trained pacer straight to the lead, and was involved in a fast 41.5s lead time before handing up to Star Major ($3 fav) near the 1500m.
Star Major’s driver, Todd Rattray, allowed his pacer to bowl along in quarters of 29.2s, 28.9s and 28.5s before being outsprinted late by Glenledi Elvis in a 28.3s final quarter, with a half neck between the pair. Vanquish Stride ($13) was 6.4m away in third.
The mile rate of 1:54.4s took 1.1s off the previous record set by Waterfront in October last year, with Star Major’s individual time also breaking that record.
Glenledi Elvis became the fourth horse to have broken the 2200m track record since Lanercost ran 1:57.3s in 2010.
“He is a bit of an enigma. I really liked him, and this time last year, he chaired up and won the Golden Apple, and I thought he was the best horse I had ever trained, and then he went missing a little bit and has been a bit hard to catch,” said trainer Conor Crook.
“Rohan (Hillier) drove him well, and got a good trip, and he was back to his best, which was good.
“Hopefully, he is back and can hold his form, because when he is good, he is really good, and when he is fair, he is only fair.”
The pacer was checked and subsequently broke in his heat of the Golden Apple last week, and missed out on a spot in Saturday night’s final.
The win of Glenledi Elvis completed a double for the Crook stable with former Victorian Ozzie Corka ($5.5) winning at his Tasmanian debut in the Find Us On Facebook And Instagram Pace (2200m).
The gelded son of Rock N Roll Heaven was quickly taken one off the pegs from his inside of the second-row draw by driver Jordan Chibnall, before a mid-race move to find the lead near the 1500m.
Chibnall put the foot down at the 500m to score by 14.9m in 1:57.9s.
“Off his track work at home, he seems a nice horse.
“Eric (Anderson, owner) said they always really liked him, but he never took his trackwork to the races, so hopefully he goes on with it now,” said Crook.
The double for Crook in Launceston on Sunday followed a double in Hobart on Friday night.
