Evergreen pacer Cordero is seemingly indestructible, and he bounced back to form and ended a losing sequence of 25 when he scored an easy win in the $21,000 Lee Keddie Member Since 2007 Pace over 2130m at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
The WA-bred nine-year-old was a $6.70 chance from the outside of the back line in modest company. This was his 188TH start, and it was his seventh metro-class success. He has proved to be a wonderful gift horse for his owner and trainer Trevor Wright, having amassed $311,552 in prizemoney from 17 wins and 43 placings.
Cordero, a gelding by American sire Western Terror, was driven with confidence by Deni Roberts, who settled him down in seventh position and made the most of a fortunate break when Something Certain galloped 1200m from home when enjoying the perfect one-out, one-back position. This enabled Cordero to move into that ideal spot.
Bobby Waterhouse was the $1.65 favourite from barrier one at his WA debut, and the six-year-old set the pace before fading to finish seventh after the breeze horse Major Freeway had taken a narrow lead with 450m to travel. Cordero then surged to the front 200m later and went on to win by two and a half lengths from $14 chance Manhattan Moon.
“I could not have asked for a better run,” said Roberts. “Cordero doesn’t get much luck in his races, so he was probably due for some tonight. Even though this was an easier race, he went a lot better, and the win will give him a lot of confidence.”
