Minos, the impressive winner of the 2130m Bill The Better Butcher Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, overcame the disadvantage of losing his offside hind shoe.
“I have no idea when he lost the shoe, and he has done some damage to the hoof,” said trainer-reinsman Lindsay Harper.
Harper predicted that Minos would win “plenty more races” after the New Zealand-bred five-year-old started at the juicy tote odds of $12.40.
“He is a nice horse and will get better,” said Harper. “Tonight, he travelled extremely well (in the breeze outside $4.20 chance Champagne Everyone) after getting away with slow early times (with a lead time of 37.7sec. and opening quarters of 31.4sec. and 30.3sec.). And then he ran home with a pair of 27-plus quarters, and he did it comfortably.
“I thought it was a two-horse race, with Lincoln River ($1.70 favourite) hard to beat after his impressive win at his previous start, particularly if he led. Once Minos got in front of Lincoln River it was pretty much all over, and I expected he would be too strong for Champagne Everyone.”
Harper’s decision to send Minos forward at the start from the outside barrier (No. 9) on the front line and to settle in the breeze paid handsome dividends. Minos took the lead on the home turn and won by a length from $5 chance Kurious Boy, rating 1.57.
Minos, a gelding by Bettors Delight, has had only 22 starts for seven wins, nine placings and $163,525. He has earned $25,574 from his two wins and a fourth placing from his three WA appearances.
Friday night’s win by Minos completed a training double for Harper, who was successful in the previous event with the heavily-supported $2.20 favourite Elwaddell, who began from barrier four and dashed to the front after 200m and then was rated perfectly by Lauren Harper on the way to an easy victory over Burghley Shard and Lil Happy Fella.
After a slow lead time of 37.8sec. and slow opening quarters of 31.9sec. and 30.7sec. Elwaddell sprinted over the final quarters in 28.5sec. and 27.5sec. to end a losing sequence of 18 and improve his record to 71 starts for ten wins, 16 placings and $111,219 in prizemoney.
“Elwaddell is no champion but is a very honest horse who is just short of top class,” said Lindsay Harper.
