Petracca picked up the biggest payday of his short but successful career at Tabcorp Park Melton on Friday night when he cruised to victory in the Logical Staffing Solutions Tatlow Stakes for the two-year-old colts and geldings.
The Emma Stewart-trained juvenile eventually found the lead from barrier four and controlled the $50,000 feature before rocketing home with an explosive 26.0sec final quarter to beat stablemate Rock Artist (Mark Pitt) by just under 3m.
It was another brilliant performance by the Danny Zavitsanos-owned pacer, who hadn’t been seen at the races since his fourth placing in the Group 1 Nutrien Equine Alabar Farms 2YO Colts and Geldings Final behind First Responder in late August.
Driver Nathan Jack said his charge was a little lazy in the run, but was pleased with how he zipped home in the concluding stages.
“It’s probably going to be an ordinary form race to say what went good and what went bad because of just the way it was run. It was a walk and dash so it’s easy to get mixed up with things,” he said.
“But the best part about Petracca is he can run those sectionals at the end of running solid.”
Petracca has now won five of seven career starts, and Jack felt the likely path forward for the horse would be tilts at the Breeders Crown and Vicbred Super Series before the end of the year.
Later in the evening, Tempting Tigress helped secure Stewart an amazing sixth winner on the card when she took out the Logical Staffing Solutions Tatlow Stakes for the two-year-old fillies.
The daughter of Bettors Delight broke in the early stages of the race, but quickly got back down to sit midfield off the hot tempo
Driver Mark Pitt peeled three wide heading into the back straight the final time and Tempting Tigress hit the front approaching the turn. She raced clear and held her rivals at bay to win by more than 6m over stablemate Perfect In Pink (Kate Gath), with Soho Seraphine (Michael Stanley-Anthony Butt) rattling home for third.
Tim O’Connor
