NZ HARNESS NEWS
Even in the depths of winter, Graeme Anderson is maintaining his incredible strike and at this part of the season he reckons it’s got to be that way.
“It’s cold out on the beach this time of the year,” he said.
“Not the time to be mucking round with horses you can’t win races with.
Anderson had the assistance of Dexter Dunn when winning with his two runners at Forbury Park on Thursday night.
Command Lustre and Marshall Star were both recent additions to, and were having their first start from, his stable and not surprisingly both went out favourite.
What distinguished them from one another was their level of experience; Command Lustre having just his sixth start when scoring his first win while for Marshal Star, it was win number 15 at start number 90.
The four-year-old Command Lustre had a short campaign last winter and a couple of races at Nelson earlier in the month, for Ivan Court, before making the move.
“Matt Saunders spotted him, as he does,” Anderson said.
“He and his brother Greg, who farms near Tapanui, bought him.
‘He was sent straight to the beach, I’ve just pottered around with him and he’s enjoyed the atmosphere.
“He’s still got quite a low rating and there’ll be races coming up for him at Forbury Park so he’ll go back there.”
Saunders also had a connection with Marshal Star having won two races with the son of Badlands Hanover in the summer of 2017, both with Dunn in the sulky.
Central District licence-holder Scott Dickson and his partner Lydia Pickford then acquired the gelding, who posted eight Central Districts wins for the couple before they sent him back south.
“They had hoped he’d get here for the Claimers Series final but he was just a bit late,” Anderson said.
“The final’s next week and to get in that you have to start in two heats, so he won’t make it.
“But he’s a lovely horse; he’d run out of opportunities up there but there’ll be plenty for him down here.”
Another claimers series heat winner, Real Dash, has left the country after being purchased privately out Terry and Glenys Chmiel’s stable.
- NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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