Montana DJ, a recently arrived pacer from New Zealand, showcased his impressive abilities with a stunning victory in the 1730m 7Plus Pace at Gloucester Park. Trained by Michael Young and driven by Gary Hall Jr., the $5.90-priced Montana DJ launched a spirited sprint from the inside at the bell, surging ahead to claim a two-length victory.Montana DJ, a recently arrived pacer from New Zealand, showcased his impressive abilities with a stunning victory in the 1730m 7Plus Pace at Gloucester Park. Trained by Michael Young and driven by Gary Hall Jr., the $5.90-priced Montana DJ launched a spirited sprint from the inside at the bell, surging ahead to claim a two-length victory. Despite facing a chaotic speed battle at the start, Montana DJ’s class shone through as he recorded a winning time of 1.54.9 after a blistering final quarter of 28.8 seconds. The victory was a welcome sight for Young, who had endured some initial setbacks with the horse. “Montana DJ has been a stressful horse,” Young confessed. “He shows me a lot at home, but he galloped into the stands and was unplaced for me in his first two starts.” Montana DJ’s impressive racing credentials in New Zealand include a Group 1 victory as a two-year-old, a third-place finish behind the brilliant Akuta in the Group 1 Sires Stakes, and a fourth-place finish behind Akuta in the Emerald Classic. Sired by the American stallion Captaintreacherous, Montana DJ descends from the renowned racing mare One Dream, who collected $846,467 from 18 wins and five placings in 23 starts. One Dream’s illustrious career included Group 1 victories at both Franklin and Alexandra Park, as well as a Group 1 win at Moonee Valley in Australia. While Montana DJ still has room for improvement before challenging against Free-For-All horses, his victory in the 7Plus Pace is a testament to his potential. With his undeniable talent and the guidance of his experienced trainer and driver, Montana DJ is poised for a bright future on the Western Australian racing circuit.
Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Montana DJ, recently arrived from New Zealand and left out of the stands for his first two appearances in Western Australia, gave an excellent demonstration of his undoubted class as he stormed to a stunning victory in the 1730m 7Plus Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday evening.
Montana DJ, trained by Michael Young and driven by Gary Hall Jr., was great value at $5.90 when he stood on the inside of the end line.
After a hectic speed battle between several runners, the opening fifteen minutes flew by in 27.9 seconds. and 28.8 sec. Montana DJ was seventh on the pins until Hall released him from the inside at the bell.
He then put in a spirited sprint wide to race away and win by two lengths from the fast-finishing $26 Bellezza Nera, with a rating of 1.54.9 after the final quarters of 29.1 seconds. and 28.8 sec. Sorridere finished a close third, with $3 favorite Blaze On in fourth after setting the pace and having little rest at the front.
“Montana DJ has been a stressful horse,” Young said. “And that’s because he shows me a lot at home, but he galloped into the stands and was unplaced for me in his first two starts.
“Owners are starting to question what’s going on, so it was good tonight to finally show everyone what he’s showing me at home. I rode grandstands with him because he had five grandstand starts in New Zealand and got in (safely) every time.
“Montana DJ is still at a low level, so he still needs to win a lot of races before we think about races like the WA Pacing Cup. Horses look good in the first classes, but he will have to perform better to get through to the Free-For-All horses.”
Montana DJ raced 30 times in New Zealand for six wins, nine placings and $148,232, highlighted by his victory in a Group 1 event for two-year-olds over 1700 meters at Alexandra Park in March 2021.
As a two-year-old he also finished third behind the brilliant Akuta in the Group 1 Sires Stakes at Addington and fourth behind Akuta in the Emerald Classic at Cambridge.
He is sired by the American stallion Captaintreacherous and is the ninth foal of the brilliant racing mare One Dream, who collected $846,467 from 18 wins and five placings from 23 starts.
As a two-year-old in 2006, One Dream won the Group 1 Sires Stakes Championship for fillies at Franklin, the Group 1 Caduceus Club Classic over 2200 meters at Alexandra Park when her winning margin was eight lengths, and the Group 1 Australasian Breeders Crown at Ballarat.
As a three-year-old, One Dream won two Group 1 events at Addington and two Group 2 races at Alexandra Park. As a four-year-old she won two Group 1 competitions at Alexandra Park. Her seven Australian starts resulted in five wins and two placings, including a win in the Group 1 Australian Oaks at Moonee Valley in July 2007.
