By Garrick Knight
The money was on him at Phar Lap Raceway yesterday and debuting trotter B D Yasothon delivered in style for his many supporters.
The four-year-old son of Andover Hall displayed perfect manners in the hands of driver Matt Anderson to lead within half a lap and never give his opponents a look in thereafter.
It confirmed the high opinion held of him by his Flaxton trainer Philip Iggo.
“He’s got quite a lot of ability, this horse.
“He can be a funny wee fellow at the start – he reaches for the bit and plays with his mouth so you can’t just get him to walk up and stand there.
“But fortunately, because he’s so well-gaited he will move in to a trot quickly.
“And once he’s underway, he’s got the ability to make his own luck.”
Iggo and his wife, Martine, race B D Yasothon with his breeder, Brent Smith, who recently moved from North Canterbury to Otautau in Western Southland.
“Brent is a very good friend of ours and the ‘B D’ prefix is made up of the B from his name and the D from his late son, Dallas, who died tragically at just eight years’ old.
“Yasothon is a town in Bangkok, Thailand, that we once rented a house and stayed at.
“BD Khaosan, his half-brother, was named for the same reason.”
Next up for will be a junior drivers’ race at Addington on October 18 as Iggo tries to manage his horse to get in to a $25,000 race on New Zealand Cup day in five weeks’ time.
“The race for him is a rating 48-60 so if he wins another race that will put him over the limit.
“So, we have to look to a junior drivers’ race to keep him within that band.”
The win of B D Yasothon continued the brilliant start to the season for Anderson, who sits a clear third on the drivers’ premiership, with 18 wins, behind only Blair Orange and John Dunn.
“Matt drove him perfectly,” said Iggo.
“I think he thought he had the best horse in the race and got him in to the best position to capitalize.
“We are all seeing lately just what a good driver he is.”
Anderson has also partnered Iggo’s stable star Bordeaux in three of his four recent trials as he makes a comeback from injury.
He’ll keep the drive on race night, which looks like being the $15,000 mobile free for all at Addington next Friday night.
“He’s had four runs now and is creeping closer and closer to full fitness.
“The shorter trip is not his obvious preference but he’s got to get underway and he has won over the 1950 metres before.
“We’ll head to Kaikoura after that.
“Of course, we are hoping to avoid Sundees Son and Oscar Bonavena, but I think most are.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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