Almost a full house

Canterbury harness trainer

Michael

House entered the record books with seven training wins at Manawatu yesterday.

It equaled the New Zealand record, which had been achieved four times previously, but he was the first to do it on his own.

Ironically, it was a team effort for House, who wasn’t even on course to enjoy the landmark day.

Blair Orange, his usual driving partner at the Manawatu meetings, drove six of the seven winners – a personal best for him and within one of Tony Herlihy, Dexter Dunn and Doug Watts’ single meeting driving record of seven wins. House was quick to deflect to plaudits and said a lot of the thanks go to his ‘travelling’ team of sidekicks.

House says his travelling forewoman, Penny Boyle, deserves a lot of credit, as does float driver and helper, Lindsay Boulton.

House went within a neck and a head of winning the nine-race card, Maddisons Desire and Anna Barclay pegged back late by a pair of Scott Dickson-trained pacers.

House joins Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen (twice – 2014,

2017), Purdon and Grant Payne

(2009) and Roy and Barry Purdon

(1993) in the seven-win club. House says the Manawatu ‘raids’ have become an important earner for him after a recent property deal went pear-shaped and left him precariously positioned. House’s seven winners were Gunners Coin, Frosty Reception, Pay Me Well, Mockingjay, Blarney Babe, She’s Allthe Craze and Shillelagh.

NZ Harness News