Overly Excited, a lightly-raced five-year-old, broke through for his initial metro-class win when he ploughed through a heavy, rain-soaked track at Gloucester Park on Friday night to score a narrow victory as a $23.80 outsider in the $21,000 Our Ninnie Eileen Mary Pace.
The black gelding by American sire Betting Line is certainly bred to succeed. He is the eighth foal out of Northern Luck mare Chemical Romance, who was retired to stud after being unplaced in three appearances as a two-year-old at Gloucester Park in 2009.
Chemical Romance is also the dam of Bettor Reward (61 starts for 15 wins, 11 placings and $244,065), Destined To Rule (201 starts for 14 wins, 68 placings and $229,787), Bettor Romance (158 starts for 15 wins, 48 placings and $172,022), Sovrana (51 starts for ten wins, 15 placings and $177,416) and Captain Stirling (23 starts for four wins, ten placings and $161,262).
Overly Excited, who was purchased for $50,000 at the 2021 Perth APG yearling sale, has earned $53,360 from six wins and eight thirds from 21 starts.
Trainer-reinsman Dylan Egerton-Green walked the rain-affected track between drives and said that it looked harder (more difficult) out in the three wide area.
“I was three deep from the 1200m when I had a trail and Overly Excited went roughly down the back for a few strides, and he had a chance of getting beaten,” he said. “But he fought on just enough.”
My Copy, a $26 outsider, set the pace while Lincoln Lou, the $1.32 favourite, had no luck, racing three wide early and then in the breeze before getting to the front 350m from home.
Overly Excited fought on doggedly to hit the front 60m from the post before holding on to beat the consistent $31 chance Fly To The Finish, who was last in the middle stages and fought on strongly, out wide, to finish a half-head behind the winner.
