By Matt Markham
Blair Orange combined with one of his biggest supporters to register a notable milestone on the weekend.
After a 17-year association as driver and trainer, Orange and Mike Austin reached 100 wins together when Idle Monkey crossed the line first early in the days proceedings.
Austin was one of the first to give Orange a big crack in the sulky and the pair have never looked back since winning their first race with Black Mist at Addington in March of 2000.
There have been 39 individual winners over the time and plenty who have made significant contributions to the 100 wins along the way too.
Austin’s two outstanding trotters, Ado’s Invasion and Toomuch Todo account for 18 of the wins between them for the former winning eight times with Orange in the sulky while Toomuch Todo won 10.
Others to have made significant contributions to the tally have been Tart N Tights (6), Idle Wishes (6), Meniscus (6) and also Annsmenan (5).
Toomuch To Do’s victory in the Group 2 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup and Ado Invasion’s victories in the Cambridge Trotters’ Flying Mile and City Of Sails Free-For-All, also at Group Two, have been notable highlights.
Idle Monkey’s win on Sunday was the first of what was to be a golden few hours for Orange as he claimed four winners on the programme.
He also won with RR Sand Dollar for Paul Court, Eyre I Come for Mark Jones and then completed the day by winning the Group Two Sweet Lou Leonard Memorial on the Tim Butt trained, Laddy Chatto.
It was Orange’s sixth win in the two-year-old fillies feature having previously registered victories with Delightful Memphis, Dancing Diamonds, Highview Ebony, Lancome and Idanceallnight.
An American Ideal filly from Lady Lozza, Lady Chatto is raced by Tom and Loreatta Richardson who were on hand to witness the debut victory on Sunday afternoon.
Orange’s quartet of wins at the meeting took him to 116 wins for the season, 10 wins shy of current premiership leader Dexter Dunn.
Sunday’s second feature, the Cheviot Cup, was taken out by Motu Premier.
The Merv and Meg Butterworth owned pacer made it two cups in as many weeks after winning at Hororata seven days earlier.
Treated to a perfect front running drive from Tim Williams, Motu Premier held too many guns for opposition winning strongly in a slick time.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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