NZ HARNESS NEWS
Ashburton trainer John Hay won an 18-entry ballot for $200,000 winner Art Union, at Addington on Thursday night.
The ballot was conducted by Chief Stipendiary Steward Nick Ydgren with the No 18 ballot number being pulled from the hat.
The single Hay entry was allocated the winning No. 18 marble.
Art Union, a former Victoria Derby heat winner at three, had struggled to foot it with the fast class horses this term after a two-year layoff with niggling setbacks.
Art Union, a six-year-old Art Major entire from former international winning filly Sparks A Flyin (1:52, 21 wins & $627,218), had won 16 of 40 starts for $204,380 before Thursday’s drop-down to amateur and claiming level.
Former trainer Cran Dalgety said he had explored all avenues to find a new home for Art Union.
“After having two years off, he’s not as good as he was and it was a case of what do you do with him,” Dalgety said.
“The Mongolian people were interested in him and I thought they would take him as a stud horse but when they didn’t take him, we decided to put him in here.
“The highest claim price for race was $5000 so that was it.”
Art Union also picked up the $5300 winning stake for former breeder-owners, Jim and Susan Wakefield.
Dalgety said the Wakefields were good about letting Art Union go in purely a business decision.
Amateur driver Alan Edge eased him to last from the outside of the front row and with a good clip up front.
Art Union, who loomed wide on the home turn, had a touch too much speed late in the race, getting up to beat northern vistior Romanite by a neck in a 1:58.4 rate (1950m).
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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