Promising colt Forty Love (Downbytheseaside) vindicated Aaron Dunn’s decision to secure a slot in the $500,000 Prostar with an impressive harness racing win in the $20,000 Alabar 2YO Sapling Stakes at Melton.
Schwarz galloped shortly after the start from the pole and Forty Love was able to subsequently work to the lead from his outside front row draw while the $1.90 favorite Hesitate was able to settle into the one out one back trail.
Hesitate mounted a challenge in the home straight but was no match for Forty Love ($6) who finished the race full of running to score by three metres in a mile rate of 1:54.7.
Forty Love scores in the Alabar 2yo Sapling Stakes (Colts & Geldings) for Horsham owner, driver, and trainer Aaron Dunn. pic.twitter.com/2fqGbLjPpb
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Dunn admitted Forty Love was the catalyst in taking part in the Prostar, a slot race for two-year-old pacers to be at Albion Park on July 27.
“He’s a nice horse and he is probably half the reason I put my name down for the Prostar,” Dunn said.
“He got out nice enough to get in front of the favorite and then the one horse galloped so when that panned out he would have gone into odds on once he found the front,” he said.
Dunn is undecided whether Forty Love will have another run prior to heading north.
“I’ll just see how he pulls up, I just thought he needs that bit of racing and he showed a bit of gate speed tonight,” he said.
“I put a lugging pole on him to get him to drive a bit straighter and he handled it well, so that was good.”
For complete race results, click here.
by John Dunne, for Harnesslink