Ken Casellas | PACEPIX
Hobby trainer Daniel Walsh celebrated his first metro-class winner at Gloucester Park on Friday night when Donald Harper brought eight-year-old mare Sundancer Rainbow ($13.50) home with a strong burst to beat the $3.60 favourite I Like What I See by a half-length.
It was a joyful occasion, considering that the previous time Harper had landed a winner at Gloucester Park for Walsh was in a restricted country-class event with Castrato on January 5, 2008.
“Sundancer Rainbow was four or five when I bought her for $15,000 from Noel Alexander, and she has now won about $70,000 for me,” said the 59-year-old Walsh. “She is just a sit-sprinter, and we don’t try to reinvent the wheel with her.
“Late in 2022 she wasn’t quite right, and I couldn’t work out what the problem was. She then had 20 months off and eventually she came good and has been in work since May of last year.”
Sundancer Rainbow began from the back line and Harper quickly had her positioned in sixth place, one-out and two-back while Diamond World ($4.20) was setting the pace after depriving $14 chance Fireplay of the lead after 450m.
Harper eased Sundancer Rainbow into the clear approaching the home turn and the mare went four wide on the corner before hitting the front at the 50m mark.
Sundancer Rainbow, bred in New South Wales, is by American sire Western Terror and is the eighth foal out of Troublemaker mare Dance A Rainbow, who raced 31 times in Victoria for six wins, nine placings and $53,235.
Sundancer Rainbow had three unplaced runs in NSW and raced 39 times in Victoria for four wins. Her 72 WA starts have produced nine wins and 12 placings, and her career record stands at 114 starts for 13 wins, 29 placings and $111,388.
Walsh also owns and trains smart pacer Lucca, who is being prepared for a comeback to racing. He has been off the scene since May 2024 and has a record of 35 starts for 11 wins, 11 placings and $118,676 in stakes.