By Duane Ranger
Bernie Hackett and Michelle Wallis only train one pacer at Karioitahi Beach just west of Waiuku – and that 6-year-old gelding won the Franklin duo their first ever Rotorua Cup on Sunday.
Renown for their expertise in trotting, Hackett and Wallis train a team of about a dozen and were delighted that Full Speed Ahead finally the got the reward he had been hinting at for some time now.
The son of Art Major was convincing when winning the $9,000 Armstrong Family Rotorua Grass Cup for the R66 and faster pacers.
Todd Macfarlane settled Full Speed Ahead second early from gate two and then went at sat parked at the bell.
When most horses would have chucked in the towel in the straight, Full Speed Ahead dug real deep to beat Mo Casino (Zac Butcher) and Dikerry (Brent Mangos) by a head and a head respectively.
“That was a real tough performance breezing like he did in slippery conditions. I think there is a few more wins left in him yet before the handicapping system will force us to take him to Australia.
“He would be real competitive over there. He will be rated too highly here soon and there will be nothing left for him to compete in here. They’ve had six months to sort this new ratings system out it and it’s still a mess,” Hackett said.
Full Speed Ahead paced the 2600m stand in 3:29.4 (mile rate 2:09.6) with final 800m and 400m sectionals of 59.4 and 29 even.
It was his first look at Rotorua and first win since scoring for Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen at Ashburton on December 26, 2014. He’s now won five of his 22 starts and placed in five others for $36,845 in stakes. Full Speed Ahead was the $11.10 sixth favourite.
“We’ll just race him on the grass track circuit for now and then decide his future after that. We will start with the (Parawai) Thames Cup on Saturday,” said Hackett.
Full Speed Ahead’s dam Maheer Princess (by Christian Cullen) won four races for Steven Reid and Graeme Rogerson, and his grand dam Fern Glen (by New York Motoring) won 10 races for Irvin Behrns.
He came north to the Hackett and Wallis barn in the middle of last year.
“He’s got the breeding and is a bright horse who has nice gate speed. I think he would be a much better winning proposition on a dry Thames track,” Hackett said.
Hackett and Wallis could nearly have had three wins at Rotorua’s Arawa Park.
They finished a nose second in the up to R49 trot with Sundown In Paris and then three races later Princess Mackendon was a three-and-a-half length second from her 10m handicap in the R50 and faster trot.
Hackett drove the former while Wallis got the chocolates on the latter.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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