Daniel and Ben Pearce landed their 50th winner for the 2017/18 season at Ascot on Wednesday.
In their first season as a training partnership, the brothers sit third on the WA trainers’ premiership table with just over three months remaining.
Patronize three-year-old Superior Smile ($11.40) brought up the half-century of winners for the Pearce stable with a fast-finishing effort in the PSC Insurance Handicap (1400m).
The gelding worked home strongly from the second-half of his 11-horse field under the guidance of hoop Alan Kennedy, who booted home a winning double on the day, to beat A Bit Sketchy ($24.30) by a long-head.
The well-supported Checkers ($3.80) finished a further head away in third place.
Superior Smile put the writing on the wall with an encouraging last-start performance when finishing a close-up third to Men Of Mukinbudin at Bunbury on April 4.
The Pearce brothers have Money Maher, a Listed winner at his past two starts, currently on the third line of betting in Saturday’s $400,000 Group Two WATC Derby (2400m) at Ascot.
Planet Five two-year-old Michelle Ma Belle will make her race debut at the same meeting while Magic Albert four-year-old, Hillbert, will resume from a spell without a trial.
The Pearces’ also have Let’s Twist, a Bunbury winner two starts back, engaged in Sunday’s $70,000 XXXX Gold Narrogin Cup.
PHOTO: Superior Smile and Alan Kennedy
[Western Racepix]