No winter blues for King

King witnessed his mare Leda McNally overcome an outside backline draw in wet conditions to convincingly win the 1730m David Lamond Most Winners In A Night Mares Pace.

King was rapt with the ‘classy’ performance.

Rain fell on Gloucester Park 40 minutes before the opening race and the inclement conditions suggested the mare might not have things all her own way.

But punters showed confidence in the mare, sending her out at $2, and she did not let down her legion of supporters.

Ably driven by Chris Voak, the daughter of Modern Art settled in the back half of the field.

After 400m, Voak took Leda McNally three wide on the back of Arousing.

When Leda McNally worked her way to sit outside leader Shez El De Rosa, punters breathed easier.

As the leader started to struggle 600m from home, Voak sent Leda McNally to the front and the result was never in doubt as the five-year-old careered away to win easily under a hold.

‘Voaky said he didn’t pull the plugs until 100m from home and when he did she just cruised to the line,’ King said.

‘During the week, she worked super and felt like a steam train when I drove her on Wednesday.’

Friday night’s win was her 14th from 38 starts and increased her stake earnings to about $137,300.

‘She will go around in a M4 class race with her stablemate Lord Lombo next week and we will qualify her from a stand before giving her a 10-day break,’ King said.

‘We will be bringing her back for the Norms Daughter and the Mares classics.’

November 22 sees the running of the $40,000 Norms Daughter Classic and the $100,000 Nepean Conveyors Mares Classic will be held on November 29.

Leda McNally’s win was not the only success Chris King enjoyed.

Four days earlier at Pinjarra, King trained Baza McGoo to win the 2185m Pamela McGregor Pace at Pinjarra.

Like Leda McNally, Baza McGoo was driven by Chris Voak and settled in the one out, one back position.

Voak waited until 350m from home before unleashing the seven-year-old, who hit the front on the home bend.

The son of Holmes Hanover had to be driven out before prevailing by three-quarters of a length.

The victory broke a 16-run losing streak for the bay, who last tasted success in October last year.

HEEZ Speedy Gonzalez showed speed out of the mobile in the 2185m Seth Judd Trotters Trot at Pinjarra last week.

During his second WA start since coming from New Zealand, Heez Speedy Gonzalez held the run to win by more than a half-length as the warm $1.50 favourite.

Unfortunately, the son of Britewell could not reproduce the same result at Gloucester Park on Friday night, finishing fifth behind Sandakan Lombo in a 2096m stand.

IMA Rocket Star made it successive feature race wins when leading throughout to take out the 2130m Media Guild Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.

Starting a $1.20 favourite, punters were never in doubt of the result as the Team Bond trained eight-year-old won by just over a length.

During the previous week, the son of Badlands Hanover took out the New Season Pace.

Victory took his stake earnings to about $368,000.

His next start is in three weeks.