Brilliant pacer Official Art raced his way into the record book at Globe Derby Park on Saturday.
Sent out the $2.10 favourite, Official Art gave his rivals a speed lesson leading throughout to win the O’Brien’s Meats Pace (1385m) rating a sizzling 1.53.0 to take 0.1 off the previous best recorded by Metro Mike on May 21, 2016.
Trained by Jon Kingston-Mayne, Official Art was driven dashingly by Ken Rogers to score a 9-1/2 metre win from former stablemate Big Spook ($18.10) with Lookofalegend ($8.70), 2-1/2 metres away third.
From gate three, the five-year-old came out quickly from gate three but Big Spook began brilliantly from gate five and tried to cross and lead but just couldn’t quite clear the inside runner as they ran a 28.9 quarter.
Rogers kept Official Art running for a 28 second, second quarter and came home in 28.5 for the track record.
Just five days earlier, as a $1.10 favourite, Official Art had been beaten running last to Hez The One over 2230 metres.
“It was my fault,” Kingston-Mayne said.
“I wasn’t definitive with my game plan. Because he was a query at the trip I did consider going back but didn’t and Kenny, trying not to fire him up didn’t come out quick enough to lead and as a result he got caught outside the leader and faded.
“I’m sure he could run 2230 metres if he was trained for it but because we have so many sprint races at Globe Derby Park I have been preparing him for shorter races.”
Kingston-Mayne would love to take Official Art to Melbourne for an M0 at Melton but is finding it too hard to get away with his training operation at Angle Vale.
“With horses and children to take care of, it is just too hard.”
Official Art joins currently spelling stablemate Some Kinda Tactics as a track record holder with the latter holding the 1609 metre record at Port Pirie at 1:53.3.
