Love juggles relief teaching at Dunedin high schools and primary schools with working horses with Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson.
"It has always been a passion. My brother trains horses and my dad has a few," the amateur driver said.
Love showed poise in keeping a keen Rah De Rah at the back of the field and did not unleash the winning run until inside the final 400m of the 2180m race.
"He had a pretty tough run at Omakau.
"There was a bit of speed with the likes of Shindal and Senorita Maragarita, so I knew they would be going hard," Love said.
"He wanted to go, but I just saved him for a run and unleashed him."
Rah De Rah was forced to work hard in the amateur drivers’ race at Omakau two days earlier, with Anderson in the sulky.
Anderson was illegally pushed four wide at the 1200m, which effectively ended the horse’s winning chances.
Love said their contrasting results with Rah De Rah were likely to be the subject of banter between the pair this week.
"He [Anderson] was giving me a few tips before the race and I said ‘I am not listening to you – you were four- and five-wide the whole trip at Omakau’," Love said.
"I was only having him on. Obviously it wasn’t his fault."
Love will not be giving Anderson too much grief, given the trainer handed him the winning drive on Rah De Rah.
Eighteen hours before the race, Love was facing the prospect of staying in Dunedin to look after the Anderson stable after his drive, Koromiko Eyre, was scratched.
Anderson, who started Spirit Of St Louis in the Roxburgh Cup, stepped aside to allow Love to drive in the race.
Love had offered to stay and feed up while Anderson took Spirit Of St Louis up, "but he said ‘oh no, you go up drive my one and I will bring the horse up later’."
Love has done several stints at Anderson’s stable over the past five years.
His drive behind Koromiko Eyre at Omakau on Thursday was his first in a race since partnering Elusive Flight at Addington three seasons ago.
Love previously competed against professional drivers as a graduation driver before recently switching to an amateur licence.
