28 September 2021 | Ashleigh Paikos
It takes plenty of patience and perseverance to win a maiden with a 10-year-old, and that’s just what it was on Sunday at Kellerberrin with Mile High Blues breaking her maiden status in the last on the card in 2:06:3 over the 2130m. With just five horses lined up in race seven, Hayden Reeves was quietly confident that his seven-start maiden could get the job done and after being restrained to second last after release point by reinsman Kyle Symington, the pair made their move with 600m to go, claiming the front in the home straight to bring up her first win at just her eighth start in a race.
“I was actually on the brink of sacking her as I couldn’t get her to qualify, but she’s just such a trier. She may not be blessed with a lot of ability, but she has heart,”
“The less I did with her, the better she went, so I just try to keep it easy.” Reeves said.
Mile High Blues spent over three years on the sidelines before heading to the stables of Hayden Reeves in April this year.
Hayden Reeves opened and closed the meeting in winning form, with Second Amendment making it two in a row, giving junior driver Kyle Symington the first leg of his winning double on the day. In a winning mile rate of 2:02:3, the five-year-old started from barrier seven, landing the leaders back from release point, with Symington taking full advantage of the sprint lane at Kellerberrin after biding his time over the 1730m sprint trip to claim victory by 6.6m over his nearest rival.
It was another great day out for Peter Anderson and his stable at The Central Wheatbelt, with the Byford based team walking away with a training double on the card. Cluster Star broke a 10-start losing sequence and gave Donald Harper the first instalment of his winning double. Giving Allwood Stud Farm a race-to-race owning double, the three-year-old filly found herself five back on the pegs throughout, with Harper making his run with 600m to run and finding a gap in the final stages to win by a head in 2:03:6 over the 2130m journey.
It was a stable quinella for Warren Robinson, with his runners Jonimac and Sisters finishing just 3.2m apart in race three. The $1.12 favourite Jonimac led all the way for driver Aldo Cortopassi, with stablemate Sisters on his back throughout, giving Robinson the best possible outcome for his team. In a mile rate of 2:02:0 the four-year-old brought up his third career victory from just 14 starts.
Testarudo came off a last start third to claim victory in race four for trainer Jesse Moore and reinsman Kyle Harper. After leading from start to finish over the 2130m trip, the $1.65 favourite clung on narrowly to win by a half-neck from the fast-finishing Fortunate Adda in 2:03:4, bringing up his fourth career victory, and third win in his last six starts for Moore’s stable.
Peter Anderson and Donald Harper teamed up again in race five with Star Of The Class bringing up her 14th win at start 58. After an issue with her gear, the four-year-old over raced at the front of the field and at one point spacing the field by upwards of 50m, jogging over the line in 1:59:6 and managing to hold on to the win by a 8.2m over the 1730m.
It was another race for the favourites, with race six going the way of the $1.20 favourite Justlike Turbo for trainer Rob Abercromby and driver Shannon Suvaljko. Beginning from barrier three over the 2130m journey, the four-year-old settled in the breeze throughout, going on to win by 8.9m in 2:02:5.
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