Lucca Franco (left) pulls out of the trail to get past
stablemate Sunset Franco in a non-winners mobile pace at
Omakau yesterday. Photo by Matt Smith.
There may have been a delay to the harness racing at
Omakau yesterday, but there was no loitering for Steven McRae's
Halswell-based team.
The meeting was put back two races due to a power outage just
outside the racecourse, but once it started, McRae went about
putting his stamp on the Central Otago Trotting Club's
meeting.
One McRae runner, Franco Tiago, might have earned himself a
breather after a win on debut in race 3.
The 3yr-old son of Live Or Die took the lead inside the mile
and pulled away from his opposition to win by 1 lengths.
McRae said the sixth foal of the Falcon Seelster mare Tantara
Franco had been keeping fit at the trials and workouts after
qualifying at Rangiora on November 26. He was pleased with
the way Franco Tiago stretched out to win the 2600m event in
3.28.4.
''It's always good to win first up but it's going to be hard
from here. It's a big jump from maidens to c1 [one-win
class], so hopefully he can handle it.''
McRae is likely to take the gelding back to his Halswell base
rather than continuing him on the southern holiday circuit.
''I just don't know if there's much there at Cromwell for
him. We might take him home again,'' he said.
McRae added to his good day in race 5, a non-winners' mobile
pace, when Lucca Franco came off the back of Sunset Franco to
edge his stablemate by a quarter of a length. The pair were
17 lengths clear of the rest of the field.
Williamson quinellaPhil Williamson is in no hurry to take on
the country's best trotters with Springbank Sam and
Murcielargo.
The Williamson-trained pair ran the quinella in the feature
trot at Omakau yesterday, on a slushy track. The time of
3.28.89 was not quick, but a tactical drive from Nathan
Williamson behind Springbank Sam proved the difference.
Nathan Williamson sent Springbank Sam forward with 1800m to
go and saw off the late bid from stablemate Murcielargo by
two and a quarter lengths.
The group 3 Trotters' Championship at Addington in late March
appeals to Williamson now that the race, formerly the domain
of 4yr-olds, has been opened up to 5yr-olds in line with the
changes to the Harness Jewels.
''He's in great form at the moment. If we can keep him right,
he's a pretty good horse in any grade away from I Can Doosit
and Stig,'' Williamson said.
''They're great horses. He's a nice horse, but they are
stars.''
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