NZ HARNESS NEWS
Robert and John Dunn had a good day at the Amberley Trotting Club’s meeting at Rangiora, winning three races, including the day’s feature.
Classy pacer Alta Maestro took out the $20,000 Amberley Cup, taking his career record to eight wins and over $170,000 in stakes.
One race later, Valloria made it three trotting wins on end with a dominant victory for the father and son combination.
Earlier, three-year-old filly Garta had resumed with a win after hunting to the lead from the outside gate.
Queensland-based sire Mr Feelgood recorded his first New Zealand winner when Alston Roze sat parked and won for Gerard O’Reilly.
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Highland Star’s victory at Rangiora ended a wild, five-day ride for trainer Ron Paterson.
The rejuvenated trotter sped to victory after doing the same at Geraldine on Saturday, before being disqualified.
Patterson and his co-owners, Dave and Gaye Luke, had Highland Star’s Geraldine win taken off them in the enquiry room under the lapped-on rule after their trotter galloped across the line.
Though he was not in a hurry to go through that experience again, Paterson said Highland’s Star’s disqualification had a silver lining.
“As it turned out, getting put out at Geraldine was actually a good thing because we ended up with a big stake at Rangiora.”
Highland Star’s redeeming victory was further proof that the horse has been in career best form this season.
His front-running win on Amberley Cup day was his second in seven starts since returning from a suspensory ligament injury.
Paterson said the time the eight-year-old spent away from racing has been the making of the horse.
“He did a back suspensory in February or March last year and we put him out for about seven months in a big grass paddock.”
“He came back in looking like a bull and the break has been good for him.”
“His leg is excellent, it hasn’t been a problem.”
- NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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