Victoria Pass wins for new connections

Zeke Slater always has his eye out for a bargain buy, and last night in Hobart he was in the winner’s stall with Victoria Pass who was stepping out for his first start for the Slater stable.

The seven-year-old was well supported in early markets before easing out to $15 when scoring in the Ladbrokes Park Pace.

From the wide draw, the pacer raced three-wide and three-back over the final 1200 metres of the race, which was a surprise to trainer Zeke Slater.

“I didn’t think he would get that far back,” said trainer Zeke Slater after the race who explained that the pre-race plans with driver Todd Rattray were thrown out of the window mid-race.

“Todd commenced his move at about the 1300m, and I told him to be the first to go, but they all came out in front of him so he couldn’t do much about that,” said the winning trainer.

“He is not a fast horse, but he is strong, he is a pretty laid-back dude around the stables, but when he gets out on the racetrack, he wants to go,” explained Slater about his recent stable purchase.

“Eddie Murdoch had a few on the market, and I ended up buying three off him … I had a few people keen to get involved, and this guy has owners from different parts of Australia and New Zealand,” explained Slater.

“There are no immediate plans. Hopefully, we keep racing, and we will just pick a race out for him,” he added.

The win of Victoria Pass was the first leg of a training double for Slater who scored later in the night with Capitallee in the Triple M Hobart Pace.

The gelding had won two of his four previous races but was a beaten favourite in Launceston the week prior.

“It was my fault for his poor effort in Launceston last start, I flattened him in trackwork before that race,” said the trainer.

From barrier two driver Troy McDonald took the gelded son of Mach Three straight to the lead where he scored a two-metre win over Betterthanfetta.

“He probably needs a break, but with the potential shutdown I will keep pressing on with him,” said the trainer.

“With his good gate speed, he should pick up couple more,” added Slater.

Punters were on the ball early with Dyslexic ending a run of second placings in the Cascade Draught Pace for three-year-old’s.

The pacer was well handled by Rodney Ashwood for Victorian trainer Kate Hargreaves.

Trainer Kate Hargraves was delighted with the win.

“I was wrapt with his performance as were his owners,” she said.

Given the current travel restrictions in place the pacer will remain in Tasmania.

“He will have a light week and then we will look for something for him in the next few weeks, he’s staying in Tassie for now as its too hard to bring him back with everything going on,” added Hargreaves.

Duncan Dornauf for Tasracing