Winning form and holiday vibes for Cranbourne couple

Cranbourne harness racing couple Samantha Gangell and Zeke Slater have hit a purple patch of form and they’re enjoying the ride!

A hobby-trainer with just two horses currently racing, Gangell has prepared three winners from four starters in the past fortnight, including the second metropolitan-level success of her career.

Five-year-old gelding Duke’s Choice (Vincent) recorded his eighth win at Melton on Saturday night (April 12), following on from victories by trotter You Really Got Me (Love You) at Melton on Friday night and at Cranbourne the previous week.

Duke’s Choice has had just three runs back from a six-month layoff, but Gangell said the couple had always believed he had above-average ability.

“We knew when he put it all together that he had a lot to give, but he’s had some injury issues and problems along the way,” Gangell said.

“He tore a muscle in his back last September, which set him back quite a bit, then he was almost ready to race and a few niggly things happened,” she said.

“He’s owned by my stepfather (Eric Jacobson) and I just lease him, so we could take our time with him and wait for him to tell us when he was ready to get back to the races. He is spot on at the moment and sound as a bell. He has tonnes of ability, and now that he’s matured as well, he’s learned to be a bit more tractable in his races.

“I really feel now that he is sound and happy he will get through to the free for all grade and he’ll be competitive in that class.”

Duke’s Choice was driven by Liam Older and led out before handing up to Meteor Moth in the middle stages. But Older peeled off Meteor Moth’s back on straightening for the run home, and got the better of the odds-on favorite by a half head in a ding-dong battle to the line.

Watch the replay here:

“Liam is a really good young driver – like us he started in Tassie and it’s good to be able to put someone on that you have that home connection with,” Gangell said.

“It would be great to see Liam get more opportunities at a metro level.  He listens to everything you tell him and he executes to a tee.  It was a really terrific drive at Melton.”

Samantha and Zeke moved to Victoria at the end of 2022 for work opportunities and set up their hobby-training base at the Cranbourne training centre, southeast of Melbourne.

Dukes Choice and You Really Got Me are their only two racehorses currently, but they also have a two-year-old filly Itsawomansworld (Ultimate Sniper) bred by Samantha who is almost ready to trial.

Their trotter You Really Got Me has also done a nice job for the couple, with Gangell believing they have found the key to getting the best from the nine-year-old.

“We’ve always worked him out of the gate a bit, because he has gate speed, but he’s been giving up in the run home,” she said.

“We told James (driver James Herbertson) at Cranbourne to perhaps try to not use him at the start and sit him up to see if he could run on.  He really did (scoring by 12 metres) and then was good in his win on Friday night too.

“I think we’ll just need to drive him quietly now and hope he gets the luck.”

But despite the purple patch of form, the Gangell-Slater team will enjoy some time in the paddock while the couple holidays in Queensland for two weeks.

“It’s always the way, when you plan to take a break the team’s going well.  But it’s very nice to be able to go away with a bit of extra spending money,” Gangell laughed.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink