Trainer-driver Ryan Hryhorec said he could not have scripted a better run for Big Gorilla, winner of the 2015 West End Port Pirie Pacing Cup (2530m).
“From the time the tapes were released, everything went perfectly, right up to getting a run off the inside down the back,” Hryhorec said.
As a result, Big Gorilla ($4.40) sprinted home strongly to grab a 2.2 metre cup win from My Mate Stride ($7.40) with Sky Tower ($16.80) 3.2 metres away third.
“I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the cup win,” Hryhorec said.
“I actually only threw him in the race because he was fit, in form and there were no other races for him. He was out of class but I thought what the heck.
“I didn’t even know if he would handle the stand start, and I’m not sure how many he had had previously.”
But any doubts the driver had were gone at the start when Big Gorilla began brilliantly and went straight to the front in the Port Pirie Cup.
The race hadn’t really settled down when rival drivers started to make runs from the tail of the field to put themselves into the race.
“It is hard to come off 20 or 30 metres in these sort of races and win if you don’t put yourself in the race,” Hryhorec said.
That was a point also made by Mark Billinger who drove the $2.70 favourite Some Kinda Tactics who came off 30 metres.
“I had to get in the race and thought when I took off early I might be able to get outside the leader without too much trouble,” Billinger said.
“But Scott (The Smiler, $8.30) Ewen took off first and was able to work to the lead, then I went to go and got pushed four wide and had to do too much work to get outside the leader.”
While all this action was taking place, Hryhorec was ‘smoking the pipe’ on the rails on Big Gorilla and with as lap to go was three back on the fence.
But when the action started to really heat up with 600 metres left to go, some runners started to tire and he was able to ease the five-year-old off the rails and put him into the race.
Having done no work, Big Gorilla was able to sprint home strongly and claim victory.
“He’s a nice horse,” Hryhorec said. “In his younger days he looked a nice horse but probably didn’t really go on as connections might have hoped.
“He spent time with David Drury in the South-East then earlier this year managing owner Paul Brumby, a friend of mine, decided to send him to me, and he has been a good stakes earner with the cup being his second win for us with five placings from just nine starts.
“I’m not sure what his future is but with such good standing start form he could be well suited in Perth.”
Hryhorec also gave an update on three-year-old Glenferrie Bunter, a devastating 43 metre winner of the Tankard Dental Mildura Guineas a week earlier.
“He went to the paddock a day after the win, and he will be there for another week.
“There is a Vicbred series heat in Mildura in about six weeks and that may be his next run.
“He had been in work for a while and it would have been too long to keep him going to that race so I decided to give him a short break and get him back for the Vicbred.”
