10 May 2018 | Ken Casellas
At nine years of age Bronze Seeker retains his healthy appetite and strong competitive nature for racing and at Gloucester Park on Friday night he will chalk up his 200th start in a career which has netted $393,472 in prize money from 25 wins and 38 placings.
Trained at Byford by Peter Anderson, Bronze Seeker fared poorly in the random draw and will start from the No. 7 barrier in the 2130m Budget Stockfeeds Pace over 2130m. Giles Inwood will be looking to slot Bronze Seeker into the one-wide line or on to the pegs and will be relying on the gelding’s sparkling finishing burst.
By Mach Three and the second foal out of Lislea mare Bronze Lady (one win and one second from seven starts in 2006), Bronze Seeker has 26 starts in New Zealand for 11 wins and four placings. He has earned $326,009 from his 14 wins and 34 placings from 173 starts in Western Australia.
Bronze Seeker began from barrier seven in a 2130m event last Friday night and raced six back on the pegs and failed to obtain a clear passage in the final circuit when 11th behind Whozideawasthis. A week earlier, from barrier two, he trailed the pacemaker Khun Ratha before Inwood switched him three wide on the home turn. He then sprinted strongly to finish second to Khun Ratha, who dashed over the final 400m in 27.6sec.
Besotted, Im Master Charlie, Campora and Real Lucky will be more fancied than Bronze Seeker on Friday night, but Bronze Seeker is capable of surprising.
Caris Hamilton-Smith has done a splendid job to get Besotted back racing with refreshing enthusiasm and the nine-year-old impressed two starts ago when he sprinted home fast from well back to win at a 1.55.3 rate over 1730m. Gary Hall Jnr will drive the nine-year-old this week and Hall will be keen to take full advantage of the prized No. 1 barrier by attempting to set the pace.
Im Master Charlie returned to his best form for trainer Michael Brennan last Friday night when he was eighth at the bell and sixth on the home turn before flashing home to win convincingly from Messi and Mighty Flying Thomas over 2130. Michael Grantham will be in the sulky this week and he is optimistic about the eight-year-old’s prospects.
Hall has also been engaged to drive Ideal Tyson for Coolup owner-trainer Kristy Elson in the 1730m Ramsays Horse Transport Pace.
Ideal Tyson has drawn the outside barrier (No. 9) in the sprint at his first appearance since finishing seventh behind superstar Chicago Bull in the Mount Eden Sprint on October 20.
Ideal Tyson warmed up for Friday night’s event in good fashion with a sound second to the speedy Im Rockaria in a 2185m trial at Pinjarra on Sunday morning. The five-year-old settled down in fourth place before moving to the breeze 1450m from home. He fought on solidly in muddy conditions, with the final quarters being run in 28.5sec. and 28sec.
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