Our Teddy Boy shakes off torpor

Brian Anderton
Brian Anderton
Blinkers sparked talented sprinter-miler Our Teddy Boy back to winning form at Gore yesterday.

The Brian-and-Shane-Anderton-trained 6yr-old put two head-scratching performances behind him with victory by nearly five lengths in race 5.

Our Teddy Boy was last in his last start over 1600m at Wingatui when rated a $7 win chance.

There was no obvious explanation for the performance apart from a lack of interest on the horse’s part.

The Andertons quickly fixed the issue when applying blinkers to Our Teddy Boy’s bridle leading in to yesterday’s 1355m sprint.

"There didn’t seem to be any other reason for him to go like that at Wingatui other than him not being that interested." Brian Anderton said.

"So, Shane and I decided to put blinkers on him and he worked really well in them."

Our Teddy Boy’s group of owners, who are mostly based in Oamaru, got instant reward from the gear change when their galloper powered away from his rivals in an emphatic performance.

Shane Anderton
Shane Anderton

"I think the track really suited him," Anderton said.

"He is a nice horse – that was his fifth win."

A minor paddock incident has set the Anderton’s stable star and group 1 winner Patrick Erin back on his path to the New Zealand Cup.

The star stayer is undergoing massage therapy on his back after an suffering a slight back injury when slipping.

The incident has put doubt around whether the former Metropolitan winner will make the New Zealand Cup Carnival.

"He stretched something up in his hind quarters; we have had him massaged and it seems to have made a big difference.

"It looks at this stage like the [New Zealand] Cup will be out, but we will just have to wait and see.

"If he is not right we will put him out and bring him back in later."

Wingatui trainer Craig Graham notched his first official win as a trainer when Field Of Fire put in a late dive to win at Gore yesterday.

Graham’s maiden victory did not look a sure thing at the top of the home straight, but rider Jason Laking pushed the 7yr-old through a gap and he wore down the leaders short of the post in the 1800m event.

Graham has been involved in preparing horses for many years, previously assisting his late father Noel Graham with his team.

Winter favourite Flying Sardine showed she was loving being back in New Zealand by winning race 3, yesterday’s 1200m feature sprint.

The Kelvin-and-Aimee-Tyler-trained mare made it career win number 11 in what was her first start for the trainers after campaigning in Victoria last year.

After running third in last year’s Winter Cup, the 8yr-old crossed the Tasman where she struggled to show her best form in 16 starts.

The Tyler stable also produced Ying Resolute to win race 6.

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