By Matt Markham
On a day when the outsiders ruled the roost, the victory of Lightning Mach was a welcome one by punters across the country in the Motukarara Xmas Cup yesterday.
After a couple of hours of big priced dividends, including a First4 pool exceeded $100,000 the return of Dexter Dunn to the winners’ circle was welcome relief for many in the big crowd on course.
The Cran Dalgety trained mare came from four back on the fence on the home turn to romp home down centre track and give Dunn a winning double for the day after he won with Ashes To Wings for Mark Smolenski close to the start of the day.
Meanwhile Patrick O’Reilly wouldn’t mind if they raced at Motukarara every week.
The Mid Canterbury horseman’s talented trotting mare, Never Fear continued her love affair with the Motukarara surface when winning her third race from as many starts in the feature trot of the day.
Owned by Michelle, Elizabeth and Gabrielle Baird, the Pegasus Spur mare has won all five of her races on grass tracks with her other two winners both coming at Methven.
“Are they racing here next week?,’’ O’Reilly quipped after the race.
“She’s pretty happy out there, but she has been going quite good lately, just not a lot has been going right for her.
“I really struggle with her coming into season all the time. It hasn’t helped us at all.’’
Never Fear’s return to form after an extended period away from the winners’ circle didn’t go without being noticed with the mare starting second favourite in the a big field of trotters.
There was a small family aspect to the overall result of the race with Baird’s nephews, Johnny Morrison driving Explosive Star into second placing behind Never Fear.
Even more fitting was that the result came at Motukarara where the pairs father and grandfather Jack McDonald was such a prominent figure.
Earlier in the day Anvil On Fire, who won 9 races, left her first winner when Karmic Fire demolished a very good maiden field of pacers.
The Nigel McGrath trained three-year-old was all the hype pre-race and delivered in fine style after finding the front early on in proceedings.
The Christian Cullen colt looks to have a bright future in front of him.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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