Sovrana takes the Coulson

Aiden De Campo admits he was nursing mixed emotions when his mare Sovrana (Betting Line) found the lead in Friday night’s (Dec. 29) harness racing feature, The Coulson Pace, at Gloucester Park.

At her previous start the mare finished a clear last after leading up in the Retravision Pace in a race that had De Campo searching for answers.

“She’s a funny mare who seems to lose concentration when she’s in front and she races better back in the field, so I had my heart in my heart during the race,” De Campo said.

“When the front was there so easily Dylan (Egerton-Green) had to push on and it ended up winning him the race,” he said.

Sent out an $11 chance, Sovrana was allowed a 31.8 first quarter ‘breather’ while the $1.90 favorite Machs Legacy was locked away three back along the pegs and Mighthavtime ($2.90) enjoyed a cozy one out one back trail.

Mighthavtime loomed large around the home turn however Sovrana was holding her rivals on the line, scoring by a metre and a half from Mighthavtime in a mile rate of 1:58.

“She was strong on the line and the other horse had every chance to run her down,” he said.

“She is a quality mare and it’s good to see her put her best foot forward.”

De Campo believes she is still a work in progress.

“I broke her in and she was lazy type and took a while to hit her straps- she’s really still learning,” he said.

De Campo said Sovrana will be aimed at races against her own sex at Gloucester Park in the coming weeks.

“She’s a big filly and we give her plenty of time to get over her runs but she’ll contest the mares’ races coming up,” he said.

The Coulson is named in honour of legendary WA horseman Phil Coulson who was an original inductee into the West Australian Racing Hall Of Fame in 2007.

Coulson trained and drove Binshaw to win the 1967 Inter Dominion Final in Perth in addition to training five winners and driving seven winners of the WA Pacing Cup.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink