Age means nothing as Tommy wins
SHANE Anderton couldn’t have been prouder of the stable veteran Tommy Tucker on his home turf yesterday.
The Wingatui horseman, who trains with his father Brian, gained a hugely satisfying win in the White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (1600m) with the sprightly son of Gallant Guru.
‘‘He really deserved that, he’s just been so honest for years – he’s a nine-year-old, but he doesn’t know it,’’ Anderton said.
Tommy Tucker had finished runner-up in the previous two editions of the event, carrying 60kg both times and a change this year from handicap to weight-for-age conditions worked in the gelding’s favour.
‘‘It made it an even playing field,’’ Anderton said. ‘‘He’s been giving these horses up to seven kilos.
‘‘The main thing though is keeping the White Robe a Group Three race, it’s the only one south of Christchurch.’’
Ridden by Shankar Muniandy, Tommy Tucker was back in the field before improving around the field across the top and he finished boldly in the straight for the 16th win of his career.
‘‘We’ll probably go the same way as last year and look at Christchurch in the autumn and go for the Canterbury Gold Cup,’’ said Anderton, whose parents Brian and Lorraine are co-breeders and part-owners of Tommy Tucker.
The chestnut will be defending his title in the Riccarton feature, having beaten Bloodstream and Benzini in 2017.
Anderton couldn’t fault the effort of Tommy Tucker’s barn mate Gallant Boy, who provided the stable with a White Robe quinella.
‘‘He was brave after doing it pretty tough sitting outside the leader and facing the breeze,’’ he said.
❚ A CLEAN sweep of southern black type threeyear-old features remains alive for the connections of Excelleration.
The filly was untested to claim the Gore Guineas (1335m) a fortnight ago for trainer Nigel Tiley and she subsequently joined Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong for the remainder of her stay.
Excelleration made a winning debut from her new Riccarton quarters on Saturday when she was
again too good for her rivals in the Listed Harcourts Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
The daughter of Exceed And Excel was reunited with jockey Samantha Collett, who had ridden her to victory at Ruakaka before the filly embarked on her road trip, but had to pass the reins to Kylie Williams at Gore.
‘‘I was committed to riding up north that day,’’ Collett said.
‘‘It was just a sit and steer job for me today.’’ Excelleration settled toward the back of the field before she improved around the field from the 700m mark.
She was widest into the straight and, after coasting to the front 250m from home, she moved clear to account for the Shaun Ritchie-trained Global Thinking and Michael and Matthew Pitman’s Czechoslovakia.
‘‘I wanted to get out and avoid any traffic problems,’’ said Collett, who sported the colours of co-breeders and part-owners Wellfield Lodge.
‘‘I probably hit the front too soon, but she did it easily.
‘‘She’s not very big, but she makes up for it in heart.’’
Success in the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) at Ascot Park in a fortnight’s time will complete a notable stakes hat-trick for Excelleration.
‘‘Whether it’s wet or dry, she’ll be pretty hard to beat there,’’ Collett said.