By Matt Markham
Perfection can be hard to find sometimes but Ken Ford and Amanda Tomlinson achieved it yesterday at Motukarara.
The father and daughter combination had a day to remember at the grass track meeting winning three races – including success in the Group Three D G Jones Trotting Cup with Zachary Binx.
It was one of those rare days at the races where everything falls into place and lady lucky sits proudly on the shoulder and Tomlinson knows that they don’t come around very often so she had every intention to savour the moment.
“This is special, not just winning with Zachary Binx, but to win with the other two as well,’’ she said. “You can go to the races with a few horses who you think are good chances, but you never quite know what’s going to happen.
“We will be celebrating this one for a while.’’ As could be expected it was then win of Zachary Binx that usurped all others.
Tomlinson had been quoted by Fairfax during the week as saying that the Banks Peninsula feature was a race she had always wanted to win, and like all good stories her wish came true.
“He’s probably never going to win a race like the Dominion Handicap, but this race is one which we felt he could win. “So we set our sights on it after he ran second in the Jewels and have been working towards it ever since.’’
Things didn’t start off too well with the Sundon gelding however when he galloped on the home turn at Oamaru fresh up.
But he returned to form in style at Methven last week and Tomlinson knew things were back on track. Not 100 per cent certain of exactly how he would foot it with big name trotters like Sheemon and Clover Don, Tomlinson headed into the race more hopeful than expectant.
“I thought we had a chance – but it was a good field with some really nice horses so just being there was a good result.’’ After a nervous skip and hop early, Zachary Binx and Tomlinson found themselves in front early before yielding to take a trail behind Clover Don.
When Sheemon went on the attack down the back straight, Tomlinson was able to get herself off the fence and up outside the leader – a decision which undoubtedly won her the race.
“He was travelling that well when I came off the fence, I was just sitting on him round the bend. “Then when I saw Dexter (Dexter Dunn – driver of Sheemon) was starting to get a little busy on Sheemon I started to think we might be in with a chance.’’
A chance might just be an understatement as Zachary Binx turned for home and blew his rivals off the track. Valmagne emerged from the pack to run a strong second, finishing one and a half lengths behind the winner while Quite A Moment was third.
Sheemon finished last. “Dad (Ford) hasn’t been in the best of health recently so it’s nice to be able to win this and hopefully help him feel a bit better. Which I’m sure he will be. “I still don’t think we have the complete finished product yet either, he’s been a bit of a work in progress.’’
It’s the second win in the race for the family after Midnight Invasion won in 2008 – when driven by Blair Orange. Incidentally, 10th place in that same race went to Zsa Zsa – the dam of Zachary Binx.
Tomlinson said they would have to reassess their plans with the five-year-old now. He’s not nominated for the Dominion Handicap, but a race like the Ashburton Trotter’s Flying Mile may quickly jump its way onto the radar.
“We have had a few issues with him around Addington in the past, he hasn’t really like it there. But hopefully with another year under his belt we might be able to get past that – because I think we are going to have to head there to keep racing him.’’
Debutant winner Amaretto Sun and the well-performed Soney Beatt provided the stable with their other two victories for the day.
The former, a four-year-old half-brother of Arabess, was touted as an early winner and delivered with a stylish performance to win on what was a tricky track for the trotters.
Soney Beatt too appeared to revel in the conditions, winding up stylishly to run past the talented Young Stranger.
“We try and keep to about a dozen horses. It gets tricky sometimes because we breed all our own horses too, so you are almost obliged to give them a real crack and a bit more time than others might.’’
With a racing team that comprises of the three who won yesterday along with Rocknpop, the soon to return Zsa Zara and Little Mo, things are looking good for the Ford/Tomlinson team.
And this week the next generation of the family line will kick off her harness racing career with Tomlinson’s eldest daughter, Sheree set to make her driving debut before heading down South to join the stable of Murray Brown.
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