Tomac Bale announced itself as one of the most exciting sprinters in the country at Sandown Park tonight, winning the Group 2 Launching Pad in a race record 29.23 seconds.
After running a stunning 29.21 seconds in his heat run, Tomac Bale was sent to the boxes a $1.70 favourite and the punters who took the short odds weren’t disappointed. Beginning flawlessly from box 8, Tomac Bale ran the first split in a low-flying 4.96 seconds to cross Powerhouse and lead through the first turn.
From there he was never headed. Powerhouse was gallant in defeat, chasing hard to finish just 2.75 behind the winner, while Archie Gumballs hung on for third a further 6.25 lengths adrift.
Trained by Mark and Lisa Delbridge in Balliang, Tomac Bale scored his fourth win from just five career starts, taking his prize money to an impressive $52,250. The beautifully bred son of Dyna Lachlan and Princess Bale provided leviathan owner/breeder Paul Wheeler’s his first win in the race, and added yet another Group race winner to a remarkable dam-line.
It also enhanced sire Dyna Lachlan’s billing as one of the best young sires on the stud scene, Tomac Bale becoming his second Group race winner after Gunda Bale claimed the Group 2 Macro Meats Laurels in December.
The night was an outstanding success for the club, featuring its annual Easter Fun Kids Night. As well as the chance to become an ‘Owner For The Day,’ ‘Beat The Bunny,’ and find Easter Eggs in a monster Easter Egg hunt, kids had the chance to meet one of the fastest men in the world – Asafa Powell.
