NZ HARNESS NEWS
It may have been a rather bleak Sunday afternoon at Motukarara, but one result may well go down in the record books as a world first.
Twin sisters Cheree and Sheryl Wigg dead-heated the first race on the card, for amateur drivers, in what would surely be an unheard-of occurrence.
Sheryl was driving partner Tim Vince’s horse, Runcle, which was visiting from their Kumeu base, while Cheree was driving Queen Of Glory for her regular Canterbury collaborator, Bruce Negus.
Cheree actually thought she finished the better of the two to nab an outright win, but was a touch disappointed to have to share the spoils.
“I did think I had gotten up as my horse was slightly ahead of hers.
“But when I looked over at her, she just raised her hands up to say she didn’t know, so we had to wait for the judge.
“We are very competitive sisters and want to beat each other every time we race.”
Cheree trains a small team of her own, also out of Kumeu in West Auckland, and actually recorded a winner at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
Westy Boyz out-toughed Red Castleton to win, in what was his first start in the north, and from her stable.
“He’s the first trotter I’ve trained; I became very interested in them after driving them at the world champs a few months back.
“I spent some time with Bernie Hackett and Michelle Wallis learning how to drive them before I went and that got me interested.”
Her amateur connections came to the fore in acquiring the horse as fellow drive Neil Munro was Westy Boyz’ former trainer.
“I planted the seed in Neil’s head a while ago and before long he was on the truck north.”
Sunday’s driving win was the second of the season for both sisters.
The win of Queen Of Glory was the start of a raceday double for Negus, who won later in the day with Senorita Margarita.
Others to record doubles on the day were trainers Greg and Nina Hope, and driver Sam Ottley.
- NZ Harness News
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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