GLOUCESTER, ON — Colonel Talbot made his first Ontario Sires Stakes victory a lucrative one when he stepped off a 1:58.1 mile in the $130,000 three-year-old trotting colt Gold Final at Rideau Carleton Raceway on Sunday evening.

Leaving from the trailing Post 9, driver Sylvain Filion settled Colonel Talbot in fifth through the early going, directly behind overwhelming favourite Majestic Son and six and half lengths to the rear of early leader Mr Lemon. Mr Lemon took the colts to a :29 opening quarter, then yielded to elimination winner Swan Image en route to the :58.2 half.

While the lead changed hands on the front, Filion had a bird’s eye view of Majestic Son going offstride and dropping out of contention. With the fan’s top choice out of the picture, Filion seized the opportunity to send Colonel Talbot up the outside and the Mr Lavec son started to reel in Swan Image. Four lengths off the pace at the 1:27.4 three-quarters, Colonel Talbot had cut that margin in half by the time the colts turned for home and he trotted steadily down the stretch to score the 1:58.1 win.

Was it A Dream, last year’s O’Brien award winner as Canada’s top two-year-old trotting colt, closed strongly to finish three-quarters of a length back in second and Campbell Hall picked up the third-place cheque, relegating Swan Image to fourth. In spite of a :28.1 last quarter, Majestic Son was unable to recover from his miscue and finished 13 lengths behind the leader in sixth.

The win may have been Colonel Talbot’s first in Ontario Sires Stakes action, but the gelding is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Trained by Bill Companion of Rockwood for his partners Fred and Layhoon Chan Brunner of Etobicoke, Colonel Talbot captured his first four starts this season before finishing second in his Gold Series debut at Woodbine Racetrack on May 27. A disappointing break and resulting ninth-place finish in the June 3 Gold Final at Woodbine was followed by an impressive 1:55.2 victory in an overnight event at the Toronto oval on June 15. In last week’s Gold Elimination at Rideau Carleton, Colonel Talbot finished third, six lengths behind Majestic Son in his track record performance.

Rideau Carleton fans were impressed enough with Colonel Talbot to make him their second choice in Sunday’s Final, but they were so convinced of Majestic Son’s supremacy that the Mr Lavec son returned $38.40 to win, $5.80 to place and $4.40 to show. Was It A Dream delivered an $8.10 play pay out and a $4.60 show dividend, while Campbell Hall paid $9.60 to show.

Picking the numbers 9 and 8 on an exactor ticket landed fans a $279.20 return, the triactor was worth $1,892.60 and the superfecta paid $1,606.35.

Next stop on the three-year-old trotting colt’s Gold Series tour is Flamboro Downs on Aug. 12, while Ontario Sires Stakes excitement makes its third stop at Rideau Carleton Raceway this Thursday, July 6 with Gold Eliminations for the lightning fast three-year-old pacing colts.

For complete results please go to:

http://www.standardbredcanada.ca/results/data/rridcfsu.html#N7