New Zealand-bred seven-year-old Kiwi Bloke strengthened his reputation as a standing-start specialist when he romped to victory in the 2503m Retravision, We Love Our Customers Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The Ross Olivieri-trained Kiwi Bloke, favourite at $4.90, began smoothly off the 10m mark and Chris Lewis sent him forward to take the lead from Major Artist after about 480m.
Kiwi Bloke relished the role of pacemaker and after dashing over the final quarters in 27.9sec. and 28.5sec. he won by a length from Major Artist, who finished gamely after trailing the leader throughout. Delightfulreaction ($13) came from the one-out, one-back position to be third.
Kiwi Bloke, raced by Merv Butterworth’s racing syndicate, now has had 42 starts for nine wins and ten placings. His 22 New Zealand starts produced two wins in stands over 2600m and 2700m and in WA he has had 20 starts for seven wins and seven placings.
Fifteen of his WA starts have been in stands and have produced six wins, four seconds, three thirds, one fifth and one ninth (when he suffered an atrial fibrillation).
By Ken Casellas
