By Matt Markham
It’s been a long time in between drinks so the champagne tasted that little bit sweeter in the winner’s bar after the first race at Addington yesterday afternoon.
A long time might be an understatement though because the connections of Here We Go Again had been waiting for exactly two years and 20 days to get back into the winner’s enclosure.
That’s a hefty wait.
But the smiles on the faces of Jamie and Natalie Gameson told the story of how it was all worth it.
A winner of the Group Two Ladyship Stakes as a three-year-old back in 2011, Here We Go Again has been racing against the clock to get the 10th win of her career and in a situation where many people would pull pin and send a mare to stud, the Gameson’s and their co-owner, Graham Trist, have stuck to their guns.
“Graham is the reason she is still racing, he just loves her to bits,” Jamie Gameson said.
“We always wanted to get to 10 wins with her too, but we were running out of time.
“And probably patience too.”
Thoughts of retirement have always been pushed to the wayside as Gameson always knew there was that elusive win in her, it was just a matter of everything falling into place.
And yesterday it did.
Driven to perfection in the amateur drivers’ event by Adam White, the daughter of New Zealand Trotting Cup winner, Kym’s Girl, stalked the leaders and unleashed with an undeniable sprint to win the 10th race of her career at start 91.
All totalled there’s been 47 starts in between wins at 11 different tracks from Alexandra Park in the North Island to Roxburgh in Central Otago.
The list of drivers since Craig Thornley won on her on July 11, 2014 at Addington is impressive too.
Jimmy Curtin, Blair Orange, Katie Cox, Todd McFarlane, Bob Butt, Tim Williams, Matt Anderson, Gameson himself, Darren Keast, Ricky May, Thornley, Andre Poutama and White have all had a go at getting her past the post first.
She did finish third in the Methven Green Mile behind Quick As A Trick back in November, adding to the frustrations.
“She’s gone some great races against quality opposition at times, but then when she’s dropped back to an Amateur race or something like that nothing has gone right.
“We knew would get there eventually though.”
In winning yesterday Here We Go Again was also awarded the Met Multiplier Bonus for having won a race at Addington and appeared at least 15 times in a 12 month period.
That lifted her earnings for the day from the $4,000 winning stake to $11,500.
So what about the next step?
The end is nigh, but not just yet.
Here We Go Again will head to the broodmare paddock at the earliest possible opportunity in the spring, but the intention at this stage is to keep racing her as long as she remains competitive.
“She’ll tell us if she’s had enough. But the plan at this stage is to keep ticking along and see what happens.”
No potential mate has been chosen for Here We Go Again at this stage, but after such an illustrious and long career on the track she will be given every chance to leave her mark as a broodmare when the time comes.
It was a moment of relief for White as well.
He left it until the last possible moment in the season to secure his first winner for the term and celebrate it in his usual manner with a massive whip flourish and a victory lap, just to top things off.
“It’s my first winner for the season, but I was more excited for the horse and the connections, this has been a long time coming.
“There was a bit of a lump in the throat there that’s for sure.”
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