Successful return for Negus
BRUCE Negus did not need reminding of why he enjoys Waikouaiti, but he got four more reasons anyway.
The Burnham trainer, who spent eight years training in the Otago town, returned to his former base to claim four wins in a domination of yesterday’s 12race programme.
Although Negus left the area in 2014 for business reasons, he is still a huge fan of the peaceful and picturesque course and the surrounding area.
‘‘I like it here, but I like it up there [in Burnham], too.’’
Good draws and horses dropping back from richer Canterbury fields underpinned Negus’ quartet of winners, he said.
‘‘We are just having a lucky run. It has been a while and they have been unlucky.’’
Among his quartet was yesterday’s feature trot winner Sundons Flyer, who zoomed up the markers to win.
‘‘With the right run she has got a wicked sprint. She got the right run today.
‘‘The last three starts she has been parked — she can’t do that.’’
Negus trained the trotter’s dam, Feathers First, to win three races, but felt she never reached her true potential at the races.
That made the decision to breed from the mare an easy one.
‘‘It is a good old family. Sundon has injected a bit of speed into it.’’
Real Desire 3yrold Zimfandel won in similar fashion to Sundons Flyer, with a fast inside finish.
Both horses were steered to victory by leading reinsman Blair Orange.
Zimfandel too had gone into yesterday’s race on the back of unsuitably run Canterbury races.
‘‘I would say that is the easiest race he has had and also he has drawn 15 every start.
‘‘He drew one and did nothing at all, whereas he has been coming from the rear.
‘‘He has actually been going really good races.’’
Although Negus does not think the horse is quite up to the country’s best or secondtier 3yrolds, he does think his charge will improve in time.
‘‘I think he will get better. If we look after him, he is a chance of being a nice horse at Adding ton on cup day in the c2s and c3s, that sort of thing.’’
Negus claimed the day’s opening race, an amateur drivers’ event, with Emay, driven by his wife, Colleen Negus.
His quartet of winners was capped by the victory of Zulu Courage, who was another runner in Negus’ familiar scarlet and black silks to dart up the inside to win. This time, regular stable reinswoman Jessica Young was in the sulky.
According to Negus, Zulu Courage is one of the smallest horses racing in New Zealand at the moment.
That is not a surprise, given he was sired by Negus’ former champion pacer, Courage Under Fire, for whom the Waikouaiti raceway is named.
One of Negus’ main stable clients, Trevor Casey, racked up an unusual double at Waikouaiti yesterday. Although he was not directly involved in the Negus wins, he does own trotter Ygritte who won race 10 for Waikouaiti trainer Amber Hoffman. The trotter was the first leg of a racetorace driving double for Jonny Cox, who also steered home Maddisons Desire in race 11.
The 5yrold is raced on lease from Casey by Hoffman’s major owner Gerald Cayford.
Casey is a partowner of Otagobred pacing hero Lazarus, who continued his allconquering season by winning the group 1 Chariots Of Fire at Menangle on Saturday night.
The Bettor’s Delight pacer was left parked outside the leader Anything For Love before running to the front at the 800m.
Hometown pacer Salty Robyn issued a challenge to Lazarus as the field turned for home, but he quickly shook that off before going on to win in 1.49.0 for the mile (1609m) contest. Lazarus’ stablemate, Waikiki Beach, got closest to the winner, running on strongly to get within 2m of Lazarus.