Trainer Jon Kingston-Mayne gave driver Ken Rogers a 10/10 rating after Some Kinda Tactics scored a record-breaking win in the 2016 Moonta Hotel Social Club Kadina Pacing Cup (1609m) at Port Pirie.
“I’m a hard marker with drivers of my horses, but no-one could have driven this horse better tonight,” Kingston-Mayne said.
Some Kinda Tactics, starting at $3.30 on Ubet, raced away to a nine-metre cup win from Amajorjo ($1.85 fav) with Machtavish ($21) finishing well along the inside to be a neck away third.
In winning, Some Kinda Tactics rated 1:53.5 to take 0.4 off the previous best run by Timeless Era in winning the 2014 Kadina Cup.
There was an early burn for the lead in the Cup before Amajorjo, from gate four, was able to work to the lead after 200 metres but with a lap to go Rogers, who had settled back in the field from gate eight, quickly worked around to sit outside the lead.
Amajorjo and Some Kinda Tactics raced side by side into the back with 29.8 and 29.9 first quarters.
Dani Hill, on Amajorjo, tried to drop off her rival coming off the back with a sizzling 26.6 third quarter, and grabbed a lead of several metres before Rogers asked his horse to life in the home straight.
Some Kinda Tactics responded and quickly raced to the lead and won comfortably.
“He wanted to knock off when he went to the lead so maybe he could have gone even quicker,” Rogers said.
“I thought Dani would try and break us with a quick third quarter so rather than try and push my horse out of his rhythm I just kept him together then asked him to go on straightening and he quickly asserted his superiority.”
Rogers also proved a good judge as pre-race he said he thought the track record could be in danger and so it proved.
The winner is owned by harness enthusiast Lyn Proud who had a winning double on the night with Wills, which she also owns, scoring earlier in night for trainer Wayne Brodie.
Kingston-Mayne said the Mildura Cup in April remained the long term goal for Some Kinda Tactics.
“My job is to keep him ticking over until then so I will pick and choose races for him.”
After wins in the Whyalla and Kadina Cups, the trainer is tempted to try for a country cups hat-trick with the Port Pirie Cup being run on Saturday, March 19 but the negative is that it is a standing start race with the likelihood the gelding would face a massive handicap.
“It would be silly to run if he is handicapped where he couldn’t win so I will weigh up my options.”
The win brought up a double for the trainer-driver combination with Maywyn’s Zephyr scoring an all the way win in the opening event, the Rose Shephard Memorial (1609m).
Backed from $1.80 into $1.40 favourite, Maywyn’s Zephyr scored by 10 metres from Our Cavort ($18.60) with Kissed Flush ($4.40) three metres away third.
Owned by Nick Gerace, Maywyn’s Zephyr is back to his best form after a short spell in New South Wales.
The six-year-old took his stakes past $60,000 with his 16th win rating a fast 1:55.4.
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