A look at some of the action from Thursday’s Rangiora Harness Racing Club’s meeting.
DUNN AND ORANGE CONTINUE TUSSLE
There’s a battle brewing at the top of the national drivers’ premiership already. Good mates, and fierce rivals, Dexter Dunn and Blair Orange are in the midst of an early season battle for the top spot on the national premiership after the first three months of racing. Just three wins separate the pair with Dunn on 41 and Orange on 38 as both drive winners frequently from one end of the South Island to the other and everywhere in between. They both picked up one win a piece at Rangiora on Thursday with Orange saluting on Blade for Gavin Smith while Dunn saluted with Fratellino for long-time supporter, Kevin Townley. Both drivers are getting strong books of drives at most meetings and despite three quarters of the season remaining there is the potential for things to get really interesting, especially over the summer months when things really ramp up on the racing front.
WHITE COLLECTS HIS FIRST TRAINING QUINELLA
South Canterbury horseman, Brent White, entered new territory on Thursday when he produced his first stable quinella in the opening race of the Rangiora programme. The underrated Run To Hide produced a strong, front-running, effort to hold on for the victory ahead of stablemate, Cullens Lady. Off the back of a solid season last term where he equalled his best ever season of 17 winners, White has kicked into gear strongly with seven wins already thanks to a strong racing team over the summer months. Driven forward by Stephen McNally, Run To Hide tossed away a few assumptions that he was a horse who only showed up off a soft run. Ricky May and Cullens Lady looked likely at the top of the straight but battled well to hold down second.
LOW BACK IN THE WINNERS’ CIRCLE
After a quiet time of it recently, Raewyn Low got that winning feeling back on Monday. The Ashburton horsewoman produced Linda’s Cullen to produce a victory on Thursday that warranted the toughtline that it wouldn’t be the last time she’s in the circle this season. Low’s last winner was Ardwell’s Key two years ago. Owned by Ron and Dallas Patterson along with George Henderson, Linda’s Cullen has always looked capable of winning a maiden and after a canny drive from Gavin Smith she has now ticked that off the list. It also took Smith to within striking distance of 500 career driving wins with just five wins remaining.
PERSEVERANCE BEING REWARDED
To say three win mare Morissette has been a success at stud might be a bit of an understatement – but she does have a perfect record for foals to the races. On 13 occasions the Soky’s Atom mare has been served an on only the one occasions has she produced a foal – a colt by Tinted Cloud who would later be named Burn Off. Clearly not the easiest mare to get in foal, the one result from nearly a decade of trying is doing a good job of making up for it. He notched up the fourth in of his career on Thursday when he came with a withering run for Rory McIlwrick in the final race of the day for trainers Greg and Nina Hope.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
