Hall guides promising stayer War Ksar to impressive win

Emerging staying prospect War Ksar is set to tackle upcoming feature races the $35,000 Mt Barker Cup (2000m) and $100,000 Albany Cup (2100m), after a stylish victory in the MCB Construction Handicap (1900m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse on Sunday.

War Ksar was part of another treble for local trainer Steve Wolfe, who has enjoyed six winners in the past two meetings held in Albany, as maiden galloper Regulated and smart sprinter My Greek Boy were also successful.

In his fourth start this campaign, War Ksar ($4.20 chance) was aided by a brilliant ride from Peter Hall who sent the gelding forward early to eventually cross the field and lead.

Emma November moved up outside War Ksar down the back and then he was taken on by Starry Universe as they cornered for home but Hall pulled the whip and the five-year-old responded to surge away from the rest of the field.

Hall urged the talented son of War Pass to the line as he downed Prince Friar ($6.50) by a length with fellow fancy Sassenach ($5.10) running third.

Wolfe is away at the 2017 Inglis Sales in Sydney but stable representative Brett Wolfe said it was a pleasing result with the promising War Ksar.

“Positive ride by Peter Hall the number one staying rider in the State,” he said.

“He’ll head to the Mt Barker and Albany cups.

“Today was the first time he’s had any luck this prep and he shows heaps of potential as a staying prospect but he still might be 12 months away from his best.”

My Greek Boy’s red-hot form in Albany continued, recording another slashing win over his rivals in the Pegasus Vision Handicap (1230m) to sharpen his tilt at the $75,000 Fitzpatrick Plate (1230m) in April.

Jumping a $2.60 favourite on the tote, the Steve Wolfe-trained gelding settled just off the speed before producing a powerful turn of foot down the outside to score by 2½ lengths on the line.

It was another dazzling display from the talented four-year-old, who has now won four of his five starts at the track.

“He is top shelf this horse, no doubt about it,” Wolfe said.

“He’s going really good and will go straight into the Fitzpatrick Plate now, he’ll get in on a light weight. What I like about him is he can do what he wants in the run, push forward or sit back.”

Veteran Tiger Pete ran home strongly from fifth on the turn to finish in second place and give the Wolfe stable a quinella in the race.

Earlier in the day four-year-old Regulated ground away in the final 200m to narrowly edge out ex-Wolfe horse Bokerup Lad by a long head in the Albany Saddlery Maiden (1450m).

The treble lifts Wolfe to second on the Great Southern Trainers’ Premiership standings with 11 wins, one behind leader Roy Rogers.