Never Ending Photo by Pacepix
CHAMPION driver Gary Hall Jr dared to mention the “Q” word in the moments after Never Ending grabbed a stranglehold on $2.1mil TAB Eureka favouritism at Menangle last night (Saturday).
Hall Jr, who drove Never Ending for a barnstorming second in a strong free-for-all, said parts of the race reminded him of his 2013 Inter Dominion final at Menangle aboard former champion pacer Im Themightyquinn.
“Just for a moment, it felt like that race when I looked up at the top of the straight and saw how far off the leaders I was,” he said.
“I’m not going to compare any horse to ‘Quinny’, but I will say this guy (Never Ending) gave me the best feeling of any horse in the closing stages of a race since Quinny.”
Im Themightyquinn is an all-time great with 58 wins, including three Inter Dominion finals, and almost $4.6 million in earnings.
And that feeling came after Hall Jr said he had to “turn Never Ending sideways” to avoid a scrimmage at the top of the home straight.
“It doesn’t look as bad on a replay as it was in real time for me,” he said. “I had to really yank him to avoid it and he went from two and three wide to five and six wide."
“I was so far off the leader I thought I had no hope. I gave him one flick with the whip, and he set out after them."
“I couldn’t believe the ground he made up. About 80m I thought I better give him another couple because he might still be some hope of winning. It was an enormous run.”
Never Ending closed to within 3.7m of winner Major Moth and was clocked to run his closing splits in 53.2 and 26.4sec.
His TAB Eureka odds were slashed from $4 to $2.50.
It was Hall Jr’s first drive on Never Ending this campaign after serving a five-week suspension.
“Justin (Prentice, trainer) has driven him in the three runs I missed and told me the horse had really grown up and was steering and driving better than ever,” he said.
“I hoped he’d feel that way to me, and he certainly did. It’s like the penny has dropped. He’s just a more complete racehorse now."
“And I know whatever he did tonight, Justin’s a great trainer and will have some improvement to come from him for the big one."
“I think we’re all as relieved as we are excited that he’s come to the other side of Australia and seems right at his top with the big race just around the corner.”
It was Never Ending’s first start since a luckless second at Gloucester Park 22 days earlier.
“It’s as happy as I’ve ever seen Justin after a race, except maybe after winning a really big one. He’s normally quite reserved, but he was genuinely happy after that run,” Hall Jr said.
“If Justin’s happy, then I’m happy. He looks like he’s going into it (TAB Eureka) with a really great chance.”
There now looks to be two of the 10 TAB Eureka slots still open after another flop from The Lost Storm at Melton last night.
Slot holders Aaron Bain Racing & Summit Bloodstock will surely replace The Lost Storm and have gone on record saying it would be with another Emma Stewart-trained pacer if they did so. Perfect Class and High Above would be the front runners.
That would leave only the TAB slot, which will go to a runner from next Saturday night’s Racenet Discovery Stakes at Menangle.
It will be a hot contest with possible runners including: Captain
