The connections of Expressive Victor are no strangers to visiting the winner's circle, but that does not make winning any less of a thrill for the De Novo Syndicate.
Fiona Milner and Huia Wixon, both of Christchurch, were the two syndicate representatives on course at Oamaru yesterday.
Milner and Wixon, winners at Rangiora just four days ago, were bearing smiles the proverbial mile wide.
Milner has enjoyed ownership success with trotter The Drunken Drummer (four wins) and Another Impact (six wins), while Wixon was in the ownership of Onlyforyou, a two-time group 1 winner for trainer Cran Dalgety as a 2yr-old.
Wixon's husband, Richard, a former representative cricketer, was in contact with trainer Paul Court, who mentioned Expressive Victor was available for a syndicate to race.
The syndicate was formed in January when the Changeover mare, who had qualified in June 2014, was ready to race.
The decision to race Expressive Victor looks like an astute one, as she has now won four of her 19 starts.
The De Novo Syndicate is made up of eight members, all from Christchurch.
Court was a double winner at the Oamaru meeting, winning race 1 with RR Sand Dollar, and ensuring the first breeding venture by father and son Emmet and Sean Daly was a success.
The Dalys borrowed the Falcon Seelster mare, Ragazza Bromac, off Bob McArdle in late 2011 and sent the mare to Rob Roy Mattgregor.
The result was RR Sand Dollar, who chased hard to haul in Kashana, despite carrying a broken hopple for the last 300m.
Emmet Daly and his wife, Marion, live in Cheviot and were able to make the trip to Oamaru yesterday.
Son Sean lives in Sydney.
The Dalys have raced horses in syndicates before, including Sue Dreamer.
The Dean Taylor-trained mare won six races for the Cheviot Magpies Syndicate, managed by Emmet Daly.
● Real Dash helped junior driver Todd Quate double his tally for the season, although Quate's drive certainly had a part to play in the Terry and Glenys Chmiel-trained 3yr-old's winning at his third start.
The blustery wind meant cover was necessary until the last possible moment in the home straight.
"Terry said to save her for one run, so I tried to wait for as long as I could,'' Quate said.
"He's shown a bit of promise but has just been a bit weak on race day but the sliding blinds helped.''
The half-blinds had been removed from Conversion as he chased a penalty-free win for 3yr-olds, which meant driver Matt Anderson had to get the richly bred Christian Cullen-Coburg colt to dig in over the closing stages.
Anderson said the All Stars Stable was keen to get the free win out of the way before other summer targets.
"So it was a matter of trying to find a 1950m or 2000m race, which would be comfortable for him,'' Anderson said.
"He seems to be coming to it and maturing all the time so it's onwards and upwards for him.''
● Success with the "Pat'' family established by Ginger Woodhouse is continuing for Denis Stumbles and Jim Hunter, courtesy of Alderbeck.
The filly backed up her smart fourth on debut at Roxburgh with a late dash to down South Coaster in the c0 2600m trot.
Stumbles and Hunter had the most success in the past with Here Comes Pat (eight wins).
However, it is her half-sister, J D Pat, who produced Alderbeck (by Pegasus Spur).
J D Pat has left two other fillies - both by Monarchy - since Alderbeck, while Stumbles said Here Comes Pat has a Majestic Son yearling colt.
