Free legged pacer too smart at Wyndham

There's something about a free legged pacer, especially a big one and The Big Boss ticks both of those boxes.

The Ray Faithful trained American Ideal gelding won his maiden race at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club's meeting yesterday in the Gore Tractor Services Mobile Pace.
 
The impressive looking gelding was bred by Ray Anicich. 
 
"Ray got ill and decided he'd better cull his horses. Ken Scott who owns a share in the horse is mates with Ray's son Grant. Ken had the choice of two mares with foals at foot and he chose Perfect Passion (the dam of The Big Boss) because she had a colt at foot and the other mare had a filly," said Faithful.
 
Scott owns The Big Boss with Noddy Orr and Jane Pritchard. Orr now owns Perfect Passion. She's by Caprock and won four races. Her pedigree goes back to Vita Man which won nine races and Matthew Lee the winner of ten races for Anicich. 
 
"He always shown plenty but was just a bit weak so we've waited on him and taken our time."
 
And right from day one Faithful said The Big Boss was more comfortable without hopples. 
 
"We had them on earlier but this time in he's just free leg paced the whole preparation. He paces around the paddock with the other horses galloping so we've just left them off."
 
 And he said if they were to be used they would have had to be custom made.
 
"The last time I measured a set he was 68 inches and a normal horse has a 58 or 59 so he's a big boy."
 
In yesterday's race, driver Shane Walkinshaw eased the gelding out of gate six settling sixth off the inside running line.

He was then covered up by Three Dreams.

At the 1100 he got onto the back of an improving Fiddlethefool. After Fiddlethefool moved up to sit parked Walkinshaw continued to progress forward three wide to take up the parked position.

At the 600 The Big Boss was going toe to toe with leader This Excuse Is Fine with Fiddlethefool stalking the pair. At the top of the straight Walkinshaw drove the big pacer to the lead and he held off a spirited challenge by Fiddlethefool to win a head.
 
"Shane said he switched off just like he did last time. He whipped clear and then knocked off. He's just got a lot to learn. That's probably the ninth or tenth time he's worked with another horse."

The Big Boss has had a typical Faithful grounding with plenty of work. He qualified on this track last month and ran second behind Six Diamonds on debut twelve days ago.
 
"He's a little nervous early but Shane's done a good job of getting him through that bit. That's why we lined him up in a stand first because he was a bit windy behind the gate when he qualified."
 
Faithful says the four year old will have a fortnight off then he may look for a junior drivers race. He's also paid up for the Northern Southland Autumn Futurity but won't start in the $18,000 feature next month.
 
"No point in chasing those good three year olds around."
 
One of those three year olds is American Tart which impressively won her second race in the province and qualified for the Futurity.

Her winning time of 1-55.5 was a new track record for three year old fillies. The previous record of 1-55.6 was recorded in 2010 by the Michael House trained Royal Cee Cee. 
  
Bruce Stewart – Southland Harness Racing  –  Check site here