Gary Hall - trainer of Classic American
Rising star Classic American is well and truly on target to win his second $50,000 feature event in the space of a fortnight.
The speedy New Zealand-bred four-year-old, who scored a runaway victory in the San Simeon Classic last Friday night, is the early favourite to win the Binshaw Classic on Friday week.
He has bright prospects of giving leading trainer Gary Hall sen. and his reinsman son Clint a flying start to Friday night’s ten-event program at Gloucester Park by proving too good for his rivals in the opening event, the first qualifying heat of the Binshaw Classic over 2130m.
Classic American was untroubled to set the pace from the No. 1 barrier last week, but he faces a sterner test from barrier No.6 this week. However, the opposition is not particularly strong and he will be favoured to beat Ohoka Squire, who is in fine form for Forrestdale trainers Greg and Skye Bond and is sure to appreciate the No. 2 barrier on the front line.
“It’s hard to knock him on his current form,” Clint Hall said. Classic American has scored effortless all-the-way wins over 2130m at his past two starts, but he is not likely to be able to get to an early lead from barrier six this week. However, he is extremely versatile and can unwind a powerful finishing burst.
Classic American rounded the home bend with an unassailable lead last Friday night and it was quite surprising to see Hall drive the horse out vigorously to win by more than four lengths, with the normally undemonstrative Hall wielding the whip in an exultant victory salute.
Hall explained his exuberance when he said that he had been asked to pay tribute to three men (a father and two sons) who had died in a tragic road accident near Port Pirie.
“The accident left two widows, each with three children, who were left without a father and grandfather,” Hall explained. “One of the men who died was the best mate of a South Australian harness racing trainer Wayne Brodie, someone we have never met, but is an avid fan of the Hall stable and family.
“He follows everything we do on Facebook and he made a personal request that I paid a tribute to the men who died in the accident. So there was an ulterior motive about dashing away in the home straight. I wanted to make sure that I was well in the clear to send the message. It was out of character. I had saluted only once before in my life, and that was when I won the Pacing Cup for the second time, with My Hard Copy.
“I’m not going to salute with a $1.30 favourite winning by 15 metres. It wasn’t really a salute; it was a gesture.”
