A patient drive by Jack Callaghan paved the way for veteran pacer Lil Happy Fella’s narrow victory in the 2130m Westral Window Blinds Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Callaghan was content to keep Lil Happy Fella, the $4.60 second favourite, in eighth position in the one-wide line while the $4.40 favourite Elwaddell dashed to the front 1250m from home.
Finally, Callaghan eased Lil Happy Fella three wide at the bell and the seven-year-old sustained a spirited burst to draw level with Elwaddell 400m from home. Lil Happy Fella then got his nose in front 100m later and the two pacers raced stride for stride for the remainder of the race, with Lil Happy Fella beating Elwaddell by a half-head, rating 1.57.5 after a final 400m of 28.8sec.
This ended a losing sequence of 31 for Lil Happy Fella, who now has earned $159,299 from 14 wins and 16 placings from 95 starts. It was the gelding’s fifth win for Wanneroo trainer Debbie Padberg after she and her husband John purchased him from his breeder Barry Howlett.
Five-year-old Era caused a major upset when he was seventh at the bell and finished strongly to beat the $1.50 favourite Nathan Street by a half-length in the 2130m Westral Roller Shutters Pace.
Era, trained in Coolup by Phil Costello and driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, was a $50.10 outsider and a $81 chance on the fixed market, surprisingly long odds for a horse who had finished second to Star Lilly after racing three wide for much of the way a week earlier, and was an easy Pinjarra winner three starts before that.
Nathan Street charged forward from out wide at barrier eight but was denied the early lead by $3.90 chance Fat Louie, who held him at bay after a fast start from the No. 6 barrier.
Nathan Street raced in the breeze and got to a narrow lead in the home straight but was unable to hold out Era, who hit the front in the final 20 metres.
This gave Era his first win at Gloucester Park at his seventh appearance at headquarters --- after being regarded as a Pinjarra specialist, having won six times at that track.
A son of New Zealand-bred sire Foreclosure, Era is the sixth foal out of former talented mare Before Night Falls, who was retired with a fine record of 38 starts for 12 wins and eight placings for stakes of $169,279. Her main success was in the group 1 Diamond Classic in June 2008.
Era is a half-brother to The Kraken, a big Art Major gelding who earned $200,873 from 13 wins and 44 placings from 157 starts.
