No mare has won the WA Pacing Cup since Pyramus was successful in 1972. But leading trainer Michael Young is confident five-year-old Penny Black has the speed and strength to play a major role in the $450,000 Pacing Cup on December 12.
His belief was strengthened at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Stuart McDonald drove Penny Black ($3.90) to a superb victory in the $100,000 group 2 Norms Daughter Classic over 2130m.
“Obviously, the $150,000 Mares Classic in a fortnight’s time is the main aim,” said Young. “But we have aspirations for Penny Black in the Pacing Cup as well, and we would love to see her in the race.”
Young had three runners in Friday night’s feature for mares --- Penny Black, Heavenly Gipsy (the $2.90 favourite from barrier two) and $101 outsider Princess Katie (barrier eight) --- with Emily Suvaljko opting to drive Heavenly Gipsy, thus giving McDonald the heaven-sent opportunity to drive Penny Black for the first time.
Heavenly Gipsy was smartest to begin but she was challenged early by Aardiebytheseaside ($5) and Little Darling ($7.50), resulting in a scorching lead time of 34.7sec.
Heavenly Gipsy was able to run the opening 400m section of the final mile in 30.2sec. but with Little Darling applying pressure in the breeze, and with Aardiebytheseaside enjoying the one-out, one-back trail the next two quarters were covered in 28.9sec. and 28.6sec. before the final 400m was run in a modest 29.2sec., with the winner rating a smart 1.54.6.
Penny Black was in ninth position when McDonald switched her three wide with about 920m to travel. Aardiebytheseaside began her three-wide run 500m from home and she got to the front (with her off-side sulky tyre deflated) approaching the home turn. But Penny Black carried too many guns and she swept to the front at the 50m and won by one and a half lengths from Aardiebytheseaside, with $41 chance Nase Vira running on from sixth at the bell to be 4m farther back in third place, just ahead of Dame Valour ($101).
Heavenly Gipsy faded after her torrid run to finish in eleventh place, while Little Darling wilted to eighth after working hard all the way.
“After the fast lead time I was pretty confident, and on the line Penny Black was pulling away,” said McDonald. Penny Black, a Sweet Lou five-year-old, won once from six starts in New Zealand, and her 29 starts in WA have produced 15 wins and nine placings, boosting her life-time earnings to $355,555.
