By Duane Ranger
Frustrated, disappointed and now relieved.
That’s how Tony Herlihy (MNZM) has felt about his promising 4-year-old pacer Walkinshaw’s last three starts.
The master Ardmore horseman was disappointed that he missed away at Kaikoura and then disappointed he didn’t run on when finishing fifth in a $20,000, C3/4 Pace at Addington.
“Even though it was a quick time at Addington I still thought he could have run on better. I don’t know what it affected him down there but he wasn’t 100 per cent. Maybe it was the travel but I’m just delighted that he’s getting back to where he should be.
“He got a nice trip the other night but 2:39.2 is still a good time. I think he will be a real nice horse in 12 months because the breed seems to take time,” Herlihy said.
Walkinshaw notched up his fifth win in 26 starts in last Friday’s $13,999 Generation Homes R67-R99 Pace at Alexandra Park.
The son of Mach Three and Monaro bolted in by six-and-three-quarter lengths with a 1:56.4 mile rate for the 2200m mobile. He and Herlihy came home in 57.2 and 28.4.
Walkinshaw was the $3.10 second favourite and took his stake earnings to $93,232.
“He’s a good little stayer and I think he will mature into a nice horse. I didn’t nominate him for the (Auckland) Cup this year because I think he’s 12 months away from the elite class.
“I’ll race him during the Cup Carnival and plan his racing after that. There are some nice four-year-old races for him next year,” Herlihy said.
Clients of Herlihy’s (R S Tomlinson, P Morris, P J Hailes, and S W Waters) paid $50,000 to Te Kuiti breeder Bruce Spurdle for Walkinshaw at the 2014 Australasian Classic Yearling Sale at Karaka.
Friday’s victory was his biggest to date, but Walkinshaw did place in this year’s Group One Woodlands Northern Derby behind Lazarus and Chase The Dream.
“He’s getting stronger all the time and he can stay a bit. I liked the way he resumed from his spell and won well here first up. Then we took him to the South Island. He seemed well at home this week and showed that on Friday,” Herlihy said.
The fact that all five of Walkinshaw’s wins have been from behind the mobile doesn’t concern Herlihy.
“I think he will take to it okay. He’s an entire and is learning all the time. It’s something we will look at but he gives me the impression he will cope all right,” said Herlihy.
Herlihy trained and drove three winners at Alexandra Park last Friday night. He now leads the Alexandra Park Driving Premiership by one win from Zac Butcher, 15-14.
He also narrowed the gap on his brother-in-law Barry Purdon in the Training Premiership. Purdon now leads 15-14.
The race after Walkinshaw’s win Brent Mangos drove the Herlihy trained Blackguard’s Corner to victory.
Herlihy also trained and drove $1.50 favourite Classy Chapel to win the eighth event. His other driving victory came in race four via the Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett trained Makarewa Jake.
He’s now driven 17 winners in 2016-2017 and 3,404 ($35.4m) in his career. Training-wise Herlihy has bagged 15 victories this season and 827 ($10.2m) all-up.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
