Fuller’s Tauranga team is flying after Te Rapa double last Saturday

Tauranga trainer Antony Fuller is on a roll.

Training from his rural Tauranga property, Fuller won with his tenacious open class galloper, John Gray, at their home track meeting two Saturdays back, and added a double at Te Rapa on Saturday.

The recent compensation success is major for Fuller’s add- ed workload since his wife and training assistant, Sarah, was put out of action in a recent accident. Injured in a fall from a stable member, she is confined to hobbling around on crutches for the foreseeable future but is taking some comfort from the form of team members.

Mid-grade gallopers, Flanders and Eksuude stepped up to the plate on Saturday.

“It’s quite unbelievable

really as it’s something I just didn’t expect,” Antony Fuller said.

“I thought Eksuude would go a good race but Flanders was having her first start on a Saturday as I thought she probably wouldn’t be competitive against that class in the past.

“I had told her owners that she would go an honest race but when I saw her challenging the leader halfway down the straight I just didn’t know what to say.”

Flanders held on for a half length victory in rating 65 company after taking full advantage of the track bias that favoured runners handy to the pace.

Eksuude had been narrowly beaten over 2100m in similar company at his most recent start.

He turned the tables on Cool Hand Duke, as he dashed away in the closing stages to score impressively in the hands of regular rider Samantha Collett.

“He has really come back a much stronger horse for this campaign and he has thrived with his racing of late,” Fuller said.

“I did give him a good chance the way the track was playing and told Sam to get him handy if she could. While he can sit anywhere in his race, that ability to run on the speed was a big help as he did it really nicely in the end.”

Fuller is convinced it won’t be the last win for the son of Ekraar and expects him to be just as effective on a better track.

“I do think he will go as well on a dry track as he is a pretty versatile customer,” he said.

“I think he’s a pretty good horse and can go through the grades.

“He will probably have his next run at Wanganui in three weeks and then we will reassess where we go next.

“The trip to Wanganui will be a bit of test because he’s not a good traveller, but we’ll see if he’s learnt how to handle it.”

Also on the trip south will be promising 3-year-old The Dom, who races in the same ownership as Eksuude and is destined for a run in the $50,000 Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas.

Fuller will attempt to make it three winning weekends in a row with John Gray having his next start in the open 1600m event at Ellerslie this Saturday. Fairfax NZ