Lightning speed a gift from Heaven
OWNER George Ashford was sporting a pair of crutches and a moon boot in the Cannon Park mounting yard on Saturday afternoon, but he could feel no pain.
Well, earlier in the day he could, but when his horse Hidden In Heaven and jockey Rhiannon Payne flashed home on the outside to win the $25,000 Lightning Handicap, the pain was suddenly gone.
Ashford broke his foot after a horse reared up and stomped on it, but that was the furthest thing from his mind after the Cairns Cup carnival.
Trained by Ashford’s daughter, Leanne, the chestnut mare had to run down the extreme outside of the Cannon WINNERS: Robert Thompson celebrates the Cairns Cup win atop We Just Love it, with Ronnie Ryan. Park track to gun down favourite Platinum Tycoon in the final strides.
The five-year-old has been a handy pick-up for the Mareeba stable, having been bought for just $8000. Saturday’s win lifted her career earnings to $144,575.
“The wide run did not worry me – it was a straight run to the turn and she had her position lovely,” Ashford said.
“It was a good ride from Rhiannon Payne. She is a very consistent little horse; she is just honest.
“She is one of the most honest horses we have ever had.”
Concluder made all the running at the head of the field over 950m as Platinum Tycoon raced wide but Bonnie Thomson, on Platinum Tycoon, looked to have enough in the tank in the straight. That was until Payne pushed the button on Hidden In Heaven to steal the sprint feature.
The 27-year-old Payne had no issues being sent to the expanses of the Cannon Park track. “They had her on song today,” Payne said of the Ashford stable.
“She was in a mood on the way to the gates and they could not have had her any better.
“The better going is always a further out wide anyway. I was happy to be out wide.
“I have had a bad run of late, but I am rapt to get a winner here.”
The Michael Lee-trained Platinum Tycoon held on to run third while Confronting for Townsville trainer Georgie Bourke ran second.