Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Star pacer Mighty Ronaldo moved a step closer to becoming an equine millionaire when he gave a superb performance to win the $31,000 $9 Pints In Steelos or JP’s Free-For-All over 1730m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The WA-bred seven-year-old rated a smart 1.52.6 in defeating eight-year-old superstar Magnificent Storm to boost his earnings to $982,563 from 15 wins and 22 placings from 71 starts.
Remarkably, this was Mighty Ronaldo’s only fifth appearance in a 1730m event, and his first since he won a heat of the Gold Bullion for four-year-old entires and geldings at Gloucester Park on April 5, 2022. At his next start he finished third, a length behind the winner Beyond Delight, who rated 1.51.6 in winning the $10,000 final of the Gold Bullion over 1609m at Menangle on May 7.
“He was super tonight,” said his trainer Justin Prentice. “It was a good drive by Junior (Gary Hall Jnr). “And it’s exciting to be able to beat a horse like Magnificent Storm. It makes it feel like you have won a big race.
“The plan now is to run in the $50,000 August Cup on August 22. He will probably have another start before that race, next week or the week after, and then freshen him up before getting him ready for the WA Pacing Cup.”
Mighty Ronaldo was the $4.20 second favourite, with Magnificent Storm the $1.60 favourite at his second start after an absence of just over four months, and Hall made the most of drawing barrier No. 8, on the inside of Magnificent Storm (on the outside at barrier nine) by sending Mighty Ronaldo forward, out three wide, to get past the early leader Rockandrollartist ($31) and take the lead after about 400m and leaving Magnificent Storm in the breeze.
Magnificent Storm, driven by Aiden De Campo, challenged Mighty Ronaldo strongly in the final circuit, but Mighty Ronaldo prevailed and won by just under a length, with $13 chance Alcopony 10m away in third place.
After a comparatively comfortable opening 400m in 29.5sec. Hall increased the tempo and Mighty Ronaldo sped over the final three quarters in 28.5sec., 27.7sec. and 27.8sec.
“I didn’t want to get caught out by going too hard too early,” said Hall. “Magnificent Storm never lies down, and you never actually think you’ve got him. But I was pretty confident at the 400m when Ronnie was going pretty good.
But Storm got within a half-length of us before straightening before Mighty Ronaldo kicked on very well. He has never raced better.”
Prentice praised Hall, saying: “He summed it up very well. He just wanted to come out and make sure he stayed under Aiden, and work his way to the front, and then was able to run a comfortable opening quarter.”