By Duane Ranger
They might be training partners and they don’t always agree on everything – and that was certainly the case after the first race at Cambridge Raceway last Friday night (January 13).
Sheryl Wigg was a tad upset with her winning drive behind Chal Shocked in the $8,000 McMillan Equine Feeds Amateur Mobile for the Up to R63 pacers.
Her partner and trainer Tim Vince was rapt with the drive.
“Sheryl wasn’t happy because she thought she went too hard down the back straight. I said I thought it was a lovely confident, positive drive. She’s too hard on herself. She works like a Trojan and has high standards.
“She was first past the post and that was good enough for me. It’s funny how we had two perspectives on the race. That’s why she’s the stable’s number one amateur,” Vince said.
Chal Shocked was the $3 favourite and it was definitely a daring drive from Wigg.
She loomed up three wide in the straight and then ran a 28.4 second quarter as they surged away to a four length lead down the back straight.
In the lane Chal Socked hung to beat eighth favourite, Shardon’s Pearl by a length.
They paced the 2200m stand in 2:42.1 (mile rate 1:58.5) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 60.9 and 30.6. It was the 5-year-old Jereme’s Jet gelding’s fifth win from 30 starts. He’s also ran second five times and won $27,213.
That was Vince’s third win with the 5-year-old since Vince paid $8,000 for him purely for amateur driving reasons last September.
“He now has to leave the amateur ranks so I think he might be getting close to his mark. Perhaps Sheryl will drive him again if he is demoted back to amateur driving events.
“I’ve just bought another amateur horse from the South Island named Franco Hamilton for Sheryl to drive. He’s won twice and placed twice from his last four starts in Otago and Southland.
Vince said he would love to line him up in the Parawai Cup at Thames Cup on Sunday week (January 22), simply for sentimental reasons
“One of our old favourites Celtic Warrior won the race for us last year. He was great old boy and sadly died last in June. He won seven races and more than $50,000 for us.
“I’ll never forget him and for that reason I’d love to line Chal Shocked up in the Thames Cup just because of him. It’s a special race now because of that win last year. That was also his last win,” 61-year-old Vince said.
As at Saturday, Vince is just one win behind his personal best of nine wins achieved last season. His eighth victory came via another ‘Old favourite’ – KD Hall in race five.
While Chal Shocked was half-expected to win his race, KD Hall was the sixth favourite of nine and paid $11.80 when winning the $10,000 Breckon Farms Handicap for the R60 and faster trotters.
Tony Herlihy (MNZM) got KD Hall home by three quarters of length. It was the 7-year-old Quite Easy gelding’s ninth win in 61 starts. He’s also placed 15 times and banked just shy of $90,000.
“I think only just recently getting access to our neighbour’s swimming pool in Kumeu in recent times has worked wonders for this fella. He is another horse who has done a wonderful job for us.
“He’s the most expensive horse we have raced and he only cost us $10,000 when we got him off Murray Edmonds in November 2014. But that’s his ninth win now and I think he’s reached his mark.
“I’m in two minds whether to retire him or not because the old boy (seven) has been so good to us, and four of his wins have been at Cambridge so what does that say about him.
“I don’t think his rating will see him competitive any more and that’s not a ratings error, it’s just he’s met his mark and I can’t see him winning too many more, unless he drops back through the ratings quickly,” Vince said.
“I’ll give it some serious thought. It won’t be easy either way,” he added.
Footnote: Vince won another two races from two attempts at the Rotorua meeting yesterday (Sunday). He and Wigg won the first event behind Drover’s Eyre, while Brent Mangos got Monnay home for him in the fifth event. Four from four from Vince and two from two for Wigg! Season record.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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