Favourite horses post top victories
IT was not just at Wingatui where Otago’s favourite horses scored impressive wins on Saturday.
Princess Brook extended her strong record on her home track on Saturday, then less than an hour later Titan Banner reestablished his status as Otago’s leading pacer by winning the Wyndham Cup.
Princess Brook did not just win and keep her local followers happy — she delivered a special birthday present for her North Taieri owner, Fred King.
Although he was delighted with his charge’s open 1600m victory in race 9, King did not let his age away to Otago Daily Times readers.
‘‘I am a year older than last year,’’ he quipped.
The win was also a demonstration of a classy training effort from Terry Kennedy to have his mare primed for a big 1600m following her third in the 2400m Dunedin Cup in her previous start.
The win is not the first time Princess Brook has dropped back in distance this campaign, and her tilts at the New Zealand and Dunedin Cups have helped pinpoint what exactly is the horse’s best distance range.
‘‘I do think a mile [1600m] to 2000m is her best distance,’’ Kennedy said.
Kennedy will decide between two group 3 targets in the 1600m South Island Breeders Stakes or the 2000m Canterbury Gold Cup at the Riccarton autumn carnival.
Titan Banner may not have delivered a birthday present with his Wyndham Cup win, but it is hard to argue he could have done any more with in his impressive victory.
The 5yrold was simply in another class to his rivals in his first start for Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson since April last year.
While breaking 4min for 3200m is becoming more common in harness racing, rarely do horses do it with the viselike hold winning driver Dexter Dunn had on his charge at the winning post.
That could be a scary thought for rival trainers who are eyeing Saturday’s Northern Southland Cup at Invercargill.
Only adding more to the horse’s chance in the race is trainer Anderson’s opinion that the horse should derive good fitness benefit from his Wyndham win.