Port Pirie trainer-driver Dale Afford was a happy man after Cheersbigears won the Just Wrecking Toyota’s Claiming Pace (1800m), heat one, at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
Afford said he was finally able to tick off achieving a win for Cheersbigears at South Australia’s main track.
Specked from $13 into $11.40, the six-year-old sprinted strongly to grab a six-metre win from Hes The One ($2 fav) with Together We Do ($15.10), 10-1/2 metres away third.
“He’s been a wonderful horse for the stable but it was annoying that until tonight he hadn’t won at Globe Derby Park,” Afford said.
“Not that he has been here all that often, today was his seventh start, but he deserved a win at the track.”
Afford now is facing the reality he might have to lose his stable favourite after 17 wins.
“He’s won close to $50,000 but it might be time to move him on.
“I have nominated for Pirie a few times and the races didn’t stand up, and that is why I put him in a claimer tonight with a price of $12,000.
“He’ll be back for final on September 30 so maybe he will be claimed. Otherwise we might have to look to sending him to Western Australia.
“The prizemoney is good over there and I’m sure he would be hard to beat if he found the front around Gloucester Park but it is not as much fun if you are not working with him every day.”
On Saturday, Afford was back on the inside from gate eight but was able to come off and sit one-out, one-back when a runner on his outside dropped off.
Once in a striking position, with the favourite Hez The One being carried back by the tiring runner, Cheersbigears was always going to be hard to beat.
So it proved, when the gelding sprinted quickly off the back. Hez The One ran on well but was never going to catch the winner.
