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FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Before the running of the Paul Renwick Kitchen and Joinery Free-For-All at Addington on Friday night there was one question on punters lips. Would Auckland Cup winner Mi Muchacho re-live his horror Addington debut in November? The second question was simply if he doesn't handle the home turn bend, who beats the favourite home?

Punters answered the riddle correctly when their second elect Imagine That fought bravely to take out the feature event on Friday night. But the race was not without drama.

Looking slightly awkward in his gait, Mi Muchacho loomed to sit parked outside of Imagine That in the running and when racing around the home bend the favourite appeared to be stopping. He retreated to be approximately three lengths from the leader on the turn before straightening up and charging again. Pacing strongly Imagine That maintained her advantage over the opposition, holding off the fast finishing favourite by a half-head at the finish. Waipawa Lad did well to rally into third just ahead of Bailey's Dream.

Mi Muchacho had to withstand an enquiry after it appeared he had cut off Bella's Boy in the run home. The JCA later dismissed the protest and the connections were issued with a warning to improve his racing manners.

The victory was a great way for Imagine That to lead into this Saturday's $100,000 Easter Cup. She paced the 2600m mobile in 3.13.6, recording a mile rate of 1.59.8 and the final 800m and 400m in 56.8 and 28.2 respectively.

Imagine That has now tallied 15 wins from 46 career starts. She has placed on 19 occasions and has earned just over $375,000 in stakes.

Credit: Harness Racing NZ

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Monkey King (Todd Mitchell) beating Ambro The Thug

One of the horses that stepped out onto the track for last Friday night's $50,000 Nobilo Flying Stakes at Addington is worth a million dollars; another one looked it. And in the end, the entire field separated the two as Monkey King won and Pay Me Christian ran a disappointing last.

Monkey King's performance to win on Friday night was nothing short of sensational, because he was last of the nine-horse bunch and being chirped up as he sped past the 600m mark. Driver Todd Mitchell waited, and waited, and it wasn't until Monkey King was fully around the home turn and straightened before his pilot pushed the turbo button. The response was electrifying, and Monkey King devoured metre after metre in time to catch Ambro The Thug just short of the post. His time for the 1950m event was a super 2:22.2 in the cool conditions, representing a mile rate of 1:57.3, and considering the last half was run in 58.1 off the front Monkey King must have covered his final stanza in close to 56!

Mitchell paid the Sands A Flyin gelding the ultimate compliment when he returned to the stabling area...
"For sheer speed, he's the quickest horse I have ever driven," Mitchell said. "He doesn't wear plugs or nothing. He's just that bloody relaxed, he doesn't really do anything until you pull him into the clear and ask him to go. They had gone that hard early tonight that I knew they had to come back to us - I still didn't think he could win from where he was though. And cripes, when I pulled him out at the top of the straight he nearly went into a gallop because he was going that fast. Bailey hasn't got speed like him."

Monkey King has won five of his nine starts thus far, and Friday was a welcome return to the winner's circle for a horse whose finishing burst is now firmly entrenched as his trademark. He did the same thing on debut back in October when runing third, making up a tonne of ground behind Waipipi Express, then won four in a row, and in the outing prior to last week he took lengths off Awesome Armbro to run second after giving that rival a mighty head start turning for home and pacing his last half in 55.2.

Monkey King's only other two outings resulted in an inglorious 'last of 13' when he failed to score up behind the mobile at Alexandra Park at the start of this month, and prior to that he ran fourth during what was a horror trip across the Tasman in January. "Over in Aussie he was a dead horse all week," Mitchell said. "We had a lot of trouble with him tying up in the muscles, and he just didn't feel like himself at any stage. It has taken a month to get him right, probably even longer."

Monkey King is trained by Steven Reid, and his victory on Friday capped a stellar night for the Pukekohe stable. Reid trained the winners of the first two races at Alexandra Park - La Bella Mafia and Man On Mars - and in Mitchell's absence he made a rare appearence in the sulky and even drove the first of those himself.

In charge of the team in Christchurch last week was Reid's right-hand-man Brendon Hill, and he took a lot of care when ungearing a very fractious Monkey King after the Flying Stakes victory. Asked if the 3-year-old was always like that, Hill replied "he is when he is right. When they are as good as him it's the sort of thing you don't mind putting up with though," Hill said. "It's just him. He's like Bailey - he's got heaps of character. And speed? He's got enough of it to make you fall out of the back of the cart."

Now that the dust has settled on the Flying Stakes, the focus switches to this week's big one for the 3-year-olds - the NZ Derby. There is a glint in Mitchell's eye as he thinks about his prospects with Monkey King, and quite rightly so too, because the horse is right at the top of his game again and he proved last week tha he could win from anywhere.

As much as Mitchell seems to have a mortgage on the biggest of Addington's feature races, the NZ Cup, having won four of the last seven, a NZ Derby winning drive is something that has eluded the talented Waikato reinsman so far. And that is despite fashioning a good record in the Flying Stakes too; Mitchell won the race in 2003 with Allstar Blue Jean, again last year with Bailey's Dream, and now has a 'three from the last four' record thanks to Monkey King. "I pulled the wrong rein with Allstar Blue Jean, and should have gone earlier; I ran sixth," Mitchell lamented. "Then Bailey got run down by Badlands Bute last year. It would be nice to win the Derby with Monkey King, because he's not paid up for anything else like the Sales Series or Sires' Stakes. He never showed enough early on."



Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 29Mar06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

The ATC 2006 Synd after the win

The ATC Trot 2006 Syndicate came from near and far to fill the Addington birdcage with merriment last Saturday. Parked up the front, 76-year-old Margaret Reeve was as merry as most. Family members got her wheelchair in amongst them as they celebrated the win by Changeover in the PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Series 2yo Open from Christian Warrior and Mombassa.

Margaret came up from Ashburton for the big event, though the race was not particularly clear to her. She has impaired vision and cannot walk. She can't read and can't see television. "I lost it all about five months ago...it's awful," she said. "But I love being part of the syndicate and having the horse to race. It is my only interest, and Rob Carr has been so good. He phones me and tells me what is going on," she said. As it happened, Margaret bought the last share in the syndicate. "Rob told me there were two men interested but they hadn't paid the money. So next morning, I was down at the bank first thing and had the money away that day," she said.

Margaret will be back at Addington this week, but she is not so confident that Changeover will match it with Gotta Go Cullen. Trainer Geoff Small thinks the same as Margaret. "We have got a nice horse who has improved slowly all year, but Gotta Go Cullen is very, very good."

Changeover was bred by Carr and Don Kirkbride, who bought her dam Chaangerr off Bunty Hughes and Alan Meadows after they had bred seven foals. "She didn't come cheap," said Carr, who manages all the ATC Syndicates. "She was in foal to Artsplace, and they kept the foal she had. We sold Changeover for $28,000, and I had gently suggested to the trainers selecting for the syndicate that they avoid buying one that I had bred," he said.

If Small heard him, he didn't listen. "I had always wanted one from that family," he said. "He was early in the Sale, I had a budget and he made it. For Rob, it is a double coup," he said, adding that he was indebted to the usual high standard of help he had received staying with his old school buddy, Jeff Whittaker. By In The Pocket, Changover is expected to develop form that will make him a Classic chance at three.

Carr and Kirkbride have kept a Bettor's Delight filly from Chaangerr which is with Tony Herlihy, they have a weanling filly by Presidential Ball and the mare is in foal to Bettor's Delight,

Christian Warrior came off a nice trail on the outer to earn $33,150 for second, while Mombassa held his ground for third. They outclassed the others.


Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17May06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

It is no surprise Vin Devery has put Dreamy Atom back in foal to Badlands Hanover. The other product of that mating is Western Dream, which led for the last mile and won the $100,000 Nevele R Fillies Series Final at Addington with the comfort a hot favourite should. It could not have been much easier.

Alinghi ran up boldly before the corner and looked a worry for a time. But other than that flurry, there was nothing of matter for the final 15 seconds except the gap to second, and if Alinghi would hold it - which she did not.

Dreamy Atom has been a gem for Devery and his wife, Daphne. The Soky's Atom mare won six races and was 2-year-old Filly of the Year in 1998. As a broodmare, she has been a source of good income, having left Happy Dreamer which was sold to the U.S. after two starts here; Dream Royale, which won her 13th race at the weekend in Queensland; the Tim Butt trained middle-grader Presidential Dream, and Western Dream, the best of them all. She has raced only 16 times, and won 12. Her stakes are more than $260,000, and there is fair expectation it will be close to $300,000 with another high placing in the Oaks on Friday night. The Devery's have one more from Dreamy Atom to come, a filly by Artiscape, which is being weaned anytime soon.

The Artiscape is one of only two foals they bred this season. The other is a Julius Caesar colt from a Smooth Fella mare; two others died soon after foaling. To supplement numbers, a Badlands Hanover-No Time Franco filly was bought at this year's PGG Wrightson Sale.

There is still much ahead of Western Dream. She will contest the Australian Oaks in late July, and she has the Breeders' Crown heats and, in mid August, the Final. "We plan to give her a spring spell and bring her back for the mares' races in late summer and autumn," said Vin. He recalled that his success has come a long way since the time he raced the Johnny Globe mare Facetious with his brothers, Alan and Ray. "She won four of five, and it the fourth grandam of Western Dream," he said.

Western Dream is three short of equalling the number of wins by the Devery's former star, Honkin Vision. "He won fifteen, And every Cup Week when we come up, we call in and see him on the way home. We always look forward to that," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 17May06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Last year's yearling sales top lot Mombassa came $30,000 closer to recouping his $155,000 price tag on Friday night at Addington. The Cran Dalgety representative won the $50,000 PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales Southern Graduate in the hands of regular driver Colin De Filippi, and took out the event with arrogant ease.

Untouched in the run home Mombassa paced his final 400m in 28.2 comfortably, Jackson Street was second two lengths from the winner and Christian Cullen colt Carlos was third a further two lengths behind second. The younger brother of Elsu, Mombassa has won twice in four attempts and has placed once also. His total earnings now already sit at $35,000, still a long way from his expensive initial price tag though.

Dalgety indicated that an assault on the Breeders Crown series in August could be on the cards for the son of In The Pocket.



Credit: Harness Racing NZ

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

It was a dream of a catch drive for Canterbury horseman Ricky May, and something you only really read about once in a blue moon. In similar shades to this year's Group One Dominion Handicap when Colin De Filippi reined Pompallier to victory in his first drive, May rated Bailey's Dream perfectly in his first attempt to win the Group One Easter Cup on Saturday night.

Regular driver Todd Mitchell remained in Hawera for the weekend circuit, missing the Cup drive behind the Steven Reid representative. In 25 career starts Mitchell had only missed three drives on Bailey's Dream, one of which was the New Zealand Free-For-All when he had sentimental commitments to two-time Cup winner Just An Excuse. On those occasions Brendon Hill had stepped up to the plate.

Going into the Group One feature Bailey's Dream was one of four four-year-olds in the line-up. Elliot Futurity winner, and second favourite, Mr Bojangles ended his Easter Cup campaign as the tapes flew, galloping hopelessly on two occasions in the first 800m. The hot pot was once again Auckland Cup winner Mi Muchacho. He was forced to work hard three-wide for almost a lap to get to the front, and when pressured on the home turn showed his weakness yet again at Addington. Eventual winner Bailey's Dream flew inside the last 600m, crushing the favourite on the home turn before bolting away from his closest pursuers, Mighty Cullen and Imagine That.

The Dream Away gelding secured victory by one length at the finish post, while game four-year-old Mighty Cullen sprinted from three-back on the fence for second. Last week's feature winner Imagine That rallied after securing the trail for third place behind her stablemate. The favourite Mi Muchacho battled into sixth equal and will return home without a South Island victory.

Bailey's Dream paced the 3200m stand in 4.03.6, clocking a mile rate of 2.02.4. He paced his final 800m in 58.0.

Trainer Steven Reid has indicated that the gelding will now target the Messenger Championship for four-year-olds at Alexandra Park on May 5. There the Easter Cup winner will once again face the country's leading pacer, Mainland Banner.


Credit: Harness Racing NZ

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Queenslanders Norm Jenkins & Stu Hunter

Stu Hunter remembers the day he went to Tasmania to see if Flashing Red felt like a horse worth buying. "I had been in snow and blizzards while I was training in America, but on this day the track was a bog; I had three raincoats on and we didn't want to be there. But when I trialled him he did whatever I asked him to do, and I thought a horse who would do that in those conditions might be tough so we bought him."

Aged 53, Hunter had cut his teeth working as a groom for Ross Croghan, and after 18 years in the States and 18 years back home, it wasn't hard for him to know the feel of a good horse. "I had seen him race in Tasmania about four years ago, and I phoned a friend about him and he told me he wasn't for sale. But soon after Barrie Rattray brought him from his owner at the time, Eric Blomquist, for $20,000, and soon after that we heard he was on the market for $40,000. After going down there, the price didn't put us off, and he's been in the finish of all the big ones over home," he said.

That means placings in the Hunter Cup, South Australia Cup, Fremantle Cup, Victoria Cup, Tooheys Mile, Inter-Dominion heat wins, and beating Mister D G in the Ballarat Cup - 13 first three Grand Circuit finishes all told.

Hunter, who previously raced Hyperstat in the 1987 Cup won by Lightning Blue from Luxury Liner and trained former New Zealander Happy Sunrise after he finished second in the Miracle Mile, was keen on the Cup idea as soon as Anthony Butt mentioned it. "He is a horse that's always thrived away from home. I knew he wouldn't be gone when the other horse went past him at the 600m. I just wasn't concerned because I'd seen what he had done racing in the Hunter Cup against Elsu. When you click him up, there is plenty of try in him. It was a scary drive but a great one," he said.

Since arriving at Premier Stables two months ago, Flashing Red has found the regime most agreeable and the staff, especially Aimee Edmonds, quickly made him a stable favourite. "You only dream about getting horses like Flashing Red, and I knew how tough he was," said Tim Butt. "He came over in terrific order. We stuck to the game plan all through, with eleven days between races." Naturally, he was thrilled to win the race, one that his grandfather the late Derek Jones won with Hands Down and Blossom Lady. "It was terrific. We were bought up with the NZ Cup, and the Hands Down one was the best I've seen. I've had five previous starters, so it is good to get the monkey off my back," he said.

Flashing Red is owned by Norm Jenkins, a Queensland property developer.

While Butt said it was a team effort, he paid Flashing Red the ultimate compliment: "When he came to out place he was just another horse. What we got is a horse with a determination to win. There will always be a box for him at home."

-o0o-

(Article but John Robinson, HRWeekly, 16Nov06)

It was fitting that Cobbity Classic should run second to Flashing Red in Tuesday's NZ Cup, because he's the main reason why the runner-up was even here in the first place. Cobbity Classic's connections watched with interest from across the Tasman as Flashing Red grew in stature in the weeks leading up to the Cup; in a way, he was their measuring stick.

"We've gotten pretty used to racing him at home, so we know what he's like," said John McCarthy, Cobbity Classic's Queensland-based trainer. "Yes, we've had a few duels. And I actually think they're pretty similar sorts of horses. I didn't realise it, but someone told me just recently that they've raced against each other twenty times, and Cobbity's beaten him in fourteen of them. so seeing how Flashing Red was going so well across here, we kept paying up for the Cup.Th otherv thing in the back of my mind was that I didn't want Cobbity and our other two Grand Circuit horses (Be Good Johnny and Slipnslide) racing against each other all the time."

In the wash-up, Cobbity Classic came up a length and a quarter short of beating his more favoured fellow Australian - meaning that New Zealand's biggest event was quinellaed by a couple of Queenslanders. "Why not? You blokes do it to us enough times," McCarthy smiled. "But no this is a big thrill, and we're ecstatic. Andrew (son) drove him perfect, and he's only twenty so he will learn a lot from the experience too. Prior to the race we did talk about holding Flashing Red out and trying to lead ourselves, but this is the biggest track he has ever raced on and Red was probably the right horse to follow anyway."

Cobbity Classic only arrived in New Zealand seven days prior to the Cup, landing in Auckland then getting a connecting flight to Christchurch where he stayed with Catherine and David Butt out at Woodend Beach. And despite the 'hit and run' nature of the trip, the McCarthy clan were confident. "He is a good two-miler, so I knew the distance of the Cup wouldn't worry him," McCarthy continued. "He'd had two Grand Curcuit races back home and went really good in both of them, plus we train them in the sand so they are always pretty fit. And even though he has won a couple of Sinshine Sprints, including this year's one in 1:54, staying is his forte."

McCarthy believes that Queensland pacers running one-two in the Cup just further emphasises how far the State has come in recent years. "People under-estimate Queensland racing, yet it's gotten really, really strong lately. From oue stable alone, we won five Grand Circuit races last season. And I don't think Flashing Red's gone any better over here; you've got to remember, he had won two heats of the Inter-Dominion."

Cobbity Classic will step out again in the NZ Free-For-All this Friday, where he is expected to acquit himself well again. This year has been his trainer's first taste of Cup Week in Christchurch, and it won't be his last. "We might have to come back again now," McCarthy said. "Probably with Cobbity, because he is only eight and a year younger than Flashing Red. Or maybe one of our other two. They are not as tough as Cobbity but they have got a bit of zip."

-o0o-

Among the beaten brigade behind the two Queenslanders on Tuesday was favourite Mainland Banner, who finished worse than second for the first time in her 20-start career when coming home ninth. "She got a perfect walk-in start, and then galloped," driver Ricky May lamented. "Sheshould not have done it really. Waipawa Lad galloped too, and I ended up back with him so it did cost us some ground. After that I took my time getting around them. The pressure really went on all of us when Winforu went. We were following Ants (Anthony Butt on Flashing Red) round the last bend, but sh was under sufference by then. She battled on okay afterwards," he said




Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 16Nov06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Syndicate Members savour the victory

Rob Carr had more than one reason to savour the victory by Changeover in Tuesday's $175,000 NRM Sires' Stakes Final at Addington. Firstly, together with his business partner Don Kirkbride he bred the In The Pocket-Chaangerr colt, and secondly, he manages the ATC Trot 2006 Syndicate that races the 3-year-old.

Th fact that he wears both caps actually put him in a slightly embarrassing situation to begin with. "We actually give trainers instructions not to buy our horses at the Sales," Carr said. "I didn't know it on the day, but Aria (Small) came up to me later and revealed that Geoff had bought our horse - for the syndicate. "So when I asked Geoff about it he said he couldn't buy a better horse for the money, then offered to look for another one if I wanted." Auckland Trotting Club officials accepted the oversight on this occasion and Changeover joined Calibrator and General George to make up the 2006 Syndicate's trio of horses. He has now won the 50-share group nearly $240,000, with Tuesday's victory his most entralling yet.

Punched out by driver David Butcher to follow Fergiemack forward, Changeover crossed to the parked position but Butcher wasn't happy with that and went again, surging to the front. The colt had done some work to get there, and he suddenly had his main danger perched right in behind him too but Changeover was equal to the task. In the end he held Fergimack comfortably at bay by half a length, stopping the clock at a brilliant 2:20.3 for the 1950m mobile. Representing a mile rate of 1:55.7 Changeover's time is the fastest by any male pacer, any age, over the trip.

"We'd had a relatively soft run to get to be parked," Butcher said afterwards. "The wind was chasing us on that part of the track, so I decided to push on; we were either going to be good enough or not. I had no idea we were going that fast, because he was fair cruising down the back. When we got to the straight and I saw that Tony (Herlihy, Fergiemack) had already pulled out, I thought it was time to make them work a bit. But hey...we've railed, most of the rest had circled, and when you are going that speed the rail is the place to be."

Some 69 people filtered out of the main stand and piled into the birdcage afterwards to welcome back their hero; Carr says he knows that many were there, because he booked all their tickets. It was fanfare galore, and a reminder of how much fun and how successful the Auckland Trotting Club's syndicates have been for the people involved. Carr took over the role of th club's Syndication Manager from Robert Death following the inaugural Trotpower Syndicate, and there has been ATC Trot syndicates every year fron 2000 since. The stakes won from those syndicates is now bordering on a whopping $1.13 million.

"It is amazing that we still struggle to get numbers sometimes," Carr said, disbelievingly. "I think this syndicate's going to have a lot more fun yet, because Changeover will just keep getting better. Plus there is another two horses to look out for...Calibrator's had two starts and gone okay but he's just a bit weak at this stage and has been turned out; and General George qalified, had three months out, and he is just back into work now and looks smart also."

From a personal perspective, Carr and Kirkbride will send four mares to stud this year including Chaangerr, who "at this stage" is booked to Christian Cullen. They have also retained a Bettor's Delight half-sister to the Sires' Stakes winner who is two and in work with Tony Herlihy.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 16Nov06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Bev, Nathan & Phil Williamson

After a rather fruitless Cup Day, 'Team Williamson' was in irrepressible form on Show Day at Addington last Friday, and are now likely to take a formidible three-pronged attack into this week's $150,000 Dominion Handicap.

And for a while trainer Phil Williamson was considering the prospect of sitting in the stand for it all, not that that was unduly worrying him. Williamson would need a crowbar to prise his 18-year-old son Nathan from driving Jasmyn's Gift after a memorable first Group 1 success in Friday's NZ Trotting FFA, and in a somewhat surprising move, Allegro Agitato will get another chance from a stand after blowing the start in the last two Dominions and Rowe Cups. She will continue her association with Ricky May, while One Over Kenny earned her shot at the Dominion when she was seen at her demoralising best in the $20,000 Konami Trot last Friday.

With an Auckland trip coming up over Christmas, Tony Herlihy had the option to handle One Over Kenny in the Dominion, a race he has surprisingly won only one and 14 years ago with Directorship. But Sly Flyin's win in the NZ Free-For-All later in the day, which earned him a Miracle Mile invite, will almost certainly see Herlihy in Sydney this Friday night instead of Christchurch. Williamson will probably thus take the reins on One Over Kenny, and the stable could quite conceivably run the trifecta in the Dominion with these three quite outstanding mares.

It was almost certainly a unique event to have four trotting events on the one programme last Friday, and Williamson almost won all four of them. Prior to Jasmyn's Gift and One Over Kenny scoring, Lets Get Serious had caused a minor upset in downing the odds-on Tim Butt and Phil Anderson trained Moment Of Truth in the opening event, while the tables were then reversed when Smart Seeker won over the slightly unlucky Blakatak, a recent addition to the stable and yet to finish out of the money in six starts for Williamson.

Jasmyn's Gift had her chance when third on Cup Day, but an entirely different track and tactics saw her back to her brilliant best. Eased off the gate from a handy draw, Jasmyn's Gift had only one behind her in a fairly strung out field when Nathan Williamson set off at the 1800m with what amounted to a 'search and destroy' mission. Taking up the running with a lap to travel from Glenbogle, Jasmyn's Gift would not be denied in the run home as he challenged in the passing lane, and Allegro Agitato finished on out wider from three back on the fence. "She doesn't have the speed of the others, but gee she has a lot of guts," said Nathan. "She just loves the wet, so as soon as I got out there and saw how much the track had deteriorated, I became quite confident. I knew the conditions would take the sprint out of the others," he added.

The 7-year-old daughter of Sundon was well outside her own national 2600m mobile record for mares of 3:15.1, but her 3:19.5 in the conditions was still a highly commendable performance, and far too much for rivals which had far easier runs and the drop on her. Glenbogle rallied well in the worst of the conditions nearest the pylons, but Jasmyn's Gift always had him well covered, while Allegro Agitato had her high speed negated, particularly when attempting to sprint on the home turn in what had become a 'pretty shitty' part of the track.

Jasmyn's Gift has had her share of problems this past year, failing to produce her best form during an Australian campaign and having some joint soreness issues since returning this season to win four on the trot. "She's had problems with soreness for a while now, and you can't keep her 'screwed down' all the time," said Phil. "She takes a torrent of work, but you have to peak her at certain times. The race on Cup Day would have cleaned her up nicely, and I'm picking she will improve again with today's race," he added.

An improved Jasmyn's Gift will be a scary thought for her rivals going into the Dominion. Im last year's Dominion, she did a stretch and seemingly her chips at the start, but went the 'race of the century' to somehow finish third to Pompallier, a sound enough fourth on Friday. Allegro Agitato is also coming to hand nicely, and will be the hardest for Jasmyn's Gift to beat this week if she steps away with them. "She's been going away good from stands at the trials, and the ten metres will make all the difference - hopefully," said Phil. Outside of winning from 40 metres at Gore last march, in a lead-up race to winning the NZ Trotting Championship at Addington ar Easter, Allegro Agitato hasn't even attempted a stand in the last two and a half years, apart from blowing the starts of those two Dominions and Rowe Cups.

One Over Kenny won't be the worst in the Dominion either after coming off 20 metres and sitting outside the warm favourite Tozzie over the last lap. Tozzie had to work to find the lead over the first 800m, but Herlihy had him covered a fair way from home and Tozzie galloped under pressure before One Over Kenny strolled home by almost three lengths over Rhythm Of The Night and Lord Rotarian. "I was getting her ready for Auckland over Christmas - she is very good that way round - but I guess she has probably earned a shot at the Dominion now," said Phil. "The owners have been threatening to send her stud, so hopefully she has done enough to earn a reprieve in that respect anyway. As intended we pretty much gave her the 4-year-old season off, and she's still on the way up now," he added.

But the day really belonged to Jasmyn's Gift and Nathan Williamson, and he had quite a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the aftermath. A flourish of the whip as she crossed the line was soon followed by some tears of joy upon easing up, and not long after there were some tears of pain when Williamson copped a well delivered and timed hind kick from his favourite mare, flush on the shin. He was doing up a cover strap behind Jasmyn's Gift when she simply responded to entire Winforu squealing in the next stall. Williamson was hobbling around and wincing with the pain for a good 10 minutes afterwards, and will be sporting a very good bruise this week, but lost none of his admiration and joy for Jasmyn's Gift after his biggest win by far, and hers since downing Allegro Agitato in last year's Trotting Championship in record time. "She is just a lovely mare and that is not her at all - she would never kick out in her life - and I would have no qualms about sleeping between her legs. Even if I had to be getting around on crutches, you couldn't stop me driving her next week," he said.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 22Nov06

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

Glenbogle leads with a round to go.

Glenbogle, off the winner's list in NZ since February last year and so far this season playing second-fiddle to his half-brother and stablemate Whatsundermykilt, had his moment in the spotlight at Addington on Tuesday when he led all the way to win the feature $25,000 J Ballantyne & Co Handicap Trot.

The Armbro Invasion 7-year-old furthered a great trot for trainer Kevin Fairbairn in such events lately, with Whatsundermykilt having won the $30,000 Ashburton Flying Mile in 1:57.6 before downing Glenbogle in the $35,000 trot at Kaikoura, and he will now take a two-pronged attack into tomorrow's Group 1 $75,000 NZ Trotting FFA.

Whatsundermykilt was a scratching on Tuesday, but there was nothing amiss with the 8-year-old Sundon gelding. "He is a more lightly framed horse and didn't need two runs in three days, but Glenbogle is a fat bugger just like me, and did need the race - it won't do him any harm anyway," said Fairbairn.

Glenbogle and Whatsundermykilt, the second and third foals from Happy Highlander, a winning trotting mare by Kiltie Boy whose next two dams were by Record Time and Colossal, have returned in rare form this season and Fairbairn says it is simply due to an injury-free and uninterrupted preparation. "Whatsundermykilt put his foot through a grate at the trials here at the start of last season and was lucky not to take his leg off, and that set us back for the rest of the year. Glenbogle had a few niggles along the way as well, but has been perfect so far this time."

Glenbogle began last season well when second at Ashburton to Allegro Agitato and third in the corresponding race last year, but placings continued to be his lot, outside of a win in the Bruce Skeggs Cup at Cranbourne in March. He was runner-up on six occasions during last season's lengthy Australian campaign, which included the Bill Collins Mile, Dullard Cup, Cochran Cup and John Slack Memorial Cup at Ballarat. The latter was won by Whatsundermykilt and the Kaikoura race was the fifth time the half-brothers have quinallaed a feature trot, with the score at present 3-3 to Whatsundermykilt, which all began when Glenbogle upset his stablemate at odds of 30-to-1 in an intermediate trot on Cup Day three years ago. "If they can keep going like this, Happy Highlander must be in the running for a broodmare award, which wouldn't be a bad effort for a mare with such an obscure pedigree."

Young Shane Walkinshaw also won with Whatsundermykilt at Ashburton and Kaikoura, and while he considered winning with Glenbogle and also Woodlea Life on Cup Day as a career highlight, he will be back on the former tomorrow. "There really isn't much between them, but whereas Glenbogle has been a real tradesman, Whatsundermykilt has the razzamatazz. We are only starting to see the best of him now - he has real quick speed when peeling off someone's back."

Walkinshaw, who turned 21 last week, has a cool head for such young shoulders and is a rare talent. Not really from a 'trotting' background, he nevertheless 'caught the bug' at a very early age just from being around the odd horse. He father Paul was a hobby trainer during the 90s, where his best horse was Battle Cruiser (3 wins). Ricky May drove a bit for Dad and he became my idol - I wanted to be a driver and just like him," said Walkinshaw.

"Winning a race on Cup Day was always a dream. I left school when I was sixteen, but the last year I was only there because I had to be," he added. Walkinshaw spent a year with Tommy Behrns and did further work experience in other stables before joining Bruce Negus three years ago.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 16Nov06