Wild upset in $450,000 WA Pacing Cup

He was the longest priced horse in harness racing’s rich WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night but that did not stop Wildest from taking out the $450,000 feature.

At starting odds of $91, the six-year-old Raging Bull gelding even caught trainer Gary Hall Snr off guard.

With a close eye on his other stable runner, Chicago Bull, the 72-year-old horseman was not expecting Wildwest to become his 12th WA Pacing Cup success.

“I know he’s got the ability as long as he’s on the rail and when he draw barrier seven I thought he was history,” Hall Snr stated.

“I was watching ‘Bully’ and thought he was home but he just did too much work and too much pressure from the Bonds a long way out and he was trying to hang in there . . . he’s a great little horse.

“Then I saw something coming along the fence, I said I think that’s the seven, I think that’s Wildwest, I couldn’t believe it.”

Driven by Callan Suvaljko, Wildwest was four back on the pegs as Mighty Conqueror led and race favourite Chicago Bull moved his way around the field three-wide.

Chicago Bull hit the front before a flash of horses surrounded him in the home straight including his stablemate Wildwest on the pegs and Miracle Moose in the middle of the pack.

Wildwest put his nose out on the line to win by a half-head from Miracle Moose with Chicago Bull a head away in third.

The mile rate for the 2936m feature was 1:57.8 with the close two quarters clocked in 27.5 and 28.8 seconds.

“That was brilliant,” said Suvaljko.

“He was a long shot in it.

“The horse went super, he was travelling, he copped a couple of checks but found the line brilliant and won the Pacing Cup.”

Wildwest is booked to head to Sydney following this feature success.

Bred in New Zealand, Wildwest has won13 of his 28 starts and earnings of $466,292.

To view the results from Gloucester Park on Friday night click here.

By Amanda Rando for Harnesslink