Ladbrooks trainer Dean Taylor's racing team heads to Timaru today in search of win No501.
Win No500 came on Friday at Nelson when Go Davey weaved through the field with a big late run.
Taylor's journey to 500 winners started with just one horse.
Taylor took out his licence in the 1989-90 season after previously working for his grandfather, Alec Purdon. That employment came to an end when Purdon scaled back his stable after a period of ill health. That meant Taylor looked for work outside racing and horses became a sideline interest.
''I had to go out and work, which I am pleased I did. Then I started breaking in horses and it went from there.
''We started off with one horse; that led to another one and it kept leading on like that.''
It did not take Taylor long to get his first win - he scored with his first starter when Lumber Scott won at Wesport on Boxing Day, 1989.
''First horse to the races, first winner. That was a big thrill.''
As his stable grew, training became a full-time focus, which would eventually put the milestone of 500 wins within sight.
''Honestly, I know how hard it is to win one race.
''When I realised how close we were I thought 'jeepers, I've got a show of doing this'. So we dug in a bit deeper and tried to get it.''
Winning the New Zealand Derby with Captain Peacock and New Zealand Free-For-All with Waipawa Lad are obvious highlights during Taylor's career.
''You can't take those big races away. They are the pinnacle really.''
But Taylor also takes particular satisfaction from the planning and work that goes into the lower-grade wins.
''The ones that really mean something, when you take decisions and they come out, that's a great thrill. Horses that you don't expect to win, things like that are good, too.''
Taylor lines up five horses today at Timaru that can add to his milestone tally.
Marat Saf Finn comes into today's final race with solid placed form in the South.
He ran fourth in Boomer Bailey's track-record win at Oamaru last week and Taylor is hopeful the horse can be competitive again today.
''He can drop back and just run on. He got a hard one in that last race.''
''Hopefully, he has bounced back from that run.''
Taylor describes race 3 entrant Master Tiller as a ''lovely 3yr-old filly''.
She was pulled up in her debut run, but atoned when running third at Rangiora, earlier this month.
The trainer rates the Somebeachsomewhere filly the best of his five chances today.
''It would be my pick of them.''
-By Jonny Turner
