Young strikes gold with bargain buy Eclipse Line

Miracle man Michael Young, WA’s leading trainer with 127 winners in 2025, continues to astonish with his magical ability to revive the careers of moderate pacing performers — and he is living proof that there still exists amazing bargains in harness racing.

In his latest achievement he has resurrected the career of seven-year-old Eclipse Line, a Betting Line gelding he purchased for a mere $4000 just over two months ago.

And in the space of 49 days Eclipse Line has had seven starts for Young and co-owners Matt Leppard and Oliver Cownie for five wins, one second placing and $36,718 in prizemoney — a remarkable performance for a gelding who managed one win (by a metre) in 38 starts in Victoria and New South Wales.

Since that solitary success, at Newcastle in September 2024, Eclipse Line managed just two placings at Penrith from 22 appearances in NSW before being sold.

“I have no idea whey he was so sparingly raced,” said Young. “I have raced him every week since I have had him, and he is one of my favourites, and he has been a bit of fun.

“He should win another couple of races, and his times tonight were really good, considering that he had to make up a lot of ground.”

Eclipse Line, the $2.90 favourite from out wide at barrier eight, was restrained to the rear by Emily Suvaljko and came from last to win convincingly. He gained an ideal passage, out three wide, behind Barbados approaching the bell and surged to the front with 450m to travel before winning by 2m from $6 chance Bet On The River. The final quarters were covered in 28.6sec. and 29.4sec. and Eclipse Line rated 1.57.6.

ECLIPSE LINE REPLAY

Young said he purchased Eclipse Line from the connections who had sold him Our Thunder and Bobby Waterhouse last July.

Our Thunder, who had won once from 79 starts (by a half-head at Canberra in May 2023), came to WA with a losing sequence of 63 — and he had six starts for Young for three wins and three placings before breaking down and being retired.

Bobby Waterhouse came to WA with a losing sequence of 35, and just to prove that Young is not invincible, the gelding had 15 starts for his new trainer for three wins and four placings.

Eclipse Line is the fifth and last foal out of Albert Albert mare Lucky Eclipse, who raced 162 times in Victoria for eleven wins, 43 placings and $84,630.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park