York trainer Maryann White only occasionally “heads down the hill to the city” to run one of her pacers. But the trip to Gloucester Park on Friday night paid handsome dividends when her inexperienced youngster Always Changin caused a major upset when he won the $21,000 Allwood Stud Sires Double Westbred Pace for three-year-olds at amazing tote odds of $229.30.
This gave the 55-year-old White her first metro-class winner since nine-year-old gelding Open Class, a $7.70 chance driven by Stephen Reed, set the pace and beat Oscar Riley by a half-head at Gloucester Park on October 1, 2010. Her previous metro-class winner was eight-year-old gelding On The Beach, a $31 outsider driven by Richard Polak, who led and beat Weneeda Girl by a neck on March 24, 2006.
And before those victories was her greatest moment in harness racing when she prepared Beverley Button (driven by Peter Tilbrook) who won the group 1 State Sires Series final by a metre from Reasonably Sharp on June 18, 2004.
Always Changin was driven on Friday night by Kyle Harper, who has formed a splendid association with White over many years, and this was Harper’s 46TH victory for White, who has prepared 292 winners.
Always Changin was overlooked by punters, who preferred Lou Lamour ($2.65 favourite), Delulu ($3.90), Wicked Lover ($4.40) and Beatitlikebeca ($6).
Lou Lamour dashed to an early lead and set a moderate pace after a slow lead time of 38.1sec. and soft opening quarters of 31.6sec. and 30.7sec. Always Changin was not bustled out at the start from the outside barrier (No. 7) on the front line, and he was ninth at the bell, following the three-wide run of Beatitlikebeca. He went four wide on the home turn and finished strongly to get up and snatch a half-head victory from $26 chance Majestic Reale, who raced in the breeze before getting to the front 100m from home.
White, who has eight pacers in work (many of them rejects), said that Always Changin was very immature. “He has a lot of ability but has a lot of issues as well,” she said. “He used to have trouble getting around corners but is getting much better.”
It is interesting that Always Changin was such a rank outsider, considering that he was a last-start third behind Into The Future at Kellerberrin, and two starts before that, at his first appearance for 17 months, he led and won at a 1.57.9 rate over 1609m at Bunbury.
He now has a record of six starts for two wins and one placing for stakes of $18,281. He is by Always B Miki and is out of Art Major mare Soho Changeling, who earned $88,975 from nine wins and 23 placings from 58 starts.
By Ken Casellas