Megadon and Sluice Box’s first metropolitan wins together with a convincing win by Bad Wolf gave Gingin trainer Ashley Maley a treble at Belmont Park yesterday.

In a thrilling finish in the first race of the day Megadon won the Tabtouch – Westspeed Platinum Handicap (1600m) by a nose and then three races after that Bad Wolf was first across the finish line in the Bernard Couch Memorial Handicap (1600m).

By the end of the day Maley was positively beaming when Sluice Box won the Congratulations On Your Career Peter Hall Handicap (2000m) handicap by five lengths.

Adding to Maley’s excitement was the performance of Red Publisher in the Ngawyni Stakes (1400m) when the 10-year-old gelding came close to winning the feature race of the day even though his jockey Joey Azzopardi accidentally dropped his off-side rein for a short distance near the 300m before regaining it.

The win gave Sluice Box, who took the lead at about the 400m, his first win at 2000m.

Maley said Sluice Box would probably be aimed at country cup races, including Kalgoorlie.

The six-year-old gelding was bred by Breera-based Gold Front Thoroughbred Breeding.

His most recent win was the Goldfields NDT Handicap (1602m) at Kalgoorlie on July 26 last year.

Prior to that the son of My Admiration and Ready In Waiting won in Geraldton in April after his maiden win at Esperance the month before.

Earlier in the week Maley had thought Bad Wolf, who beat his closest rival by 1 and 3/4 lengths was his best chance of a win.

The win was Bad Wolf’s second at 1600m with his first win at that distance at Moonee Valley in October 2018 – he had his first start for Maley’s stable in May 2020.

Maley said it was also Megadon’s first win at 1600m.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 9 August 2021.