Sometimes sticking with bloodlines pays off. And that seems to be a winning formula for Canterbury brothers Alan and Neil Edge.
The brothers saw an unnamed weanling colt in the catalogue at the Auckland autumn weanling and all-age sale in 2012 who was a half-brother to Cossack and Siberian Rose. He cost $5000 but that investment seems an astute one after a comfortable win in the 3yr-old mobile pace at Omakau yesterday.
The Lion's Roar had the drop on the son of Grinfromeartoear but Russian Express's driver, Blair Orange, did not have to ask for much from his charge to get him to the line with three-quarters of a length to spare.
''He was worth a few bob, but he's a pretty smart horse,'' Alan Edge said.
Russian Express is with the in-form Ken Barron stable after the original plan was to sell him.
''Neil did the first bit of prep with him, then straight to Ken's because he's a colt and we were looking at selling him.''
The ease in which Russian Express won may force the Edges to tweak their plans.
''We'll have a look and see. We were only looking at winning a couple with him as a 3yr-old and turning him out because he's big and powerful.''
The Edges then doubled up in the next race as Smart Caesar provided the brothers with another ownership win, courtesy of a weaving Michelle Neilson drive in the junior drivers' mobile pace. Smart Caesar is trained by Neil Edge at Weedons and has now won four of his 19 starts.
Springbank Eden found the mobile barrier much more to his liking when he took care of a large field of trotters in race 2.
The son of Angus Hall got some experience in mobile races as a 2yr-old and it showed as he worked to the lead quickly from the 2000m mark.
''He led all the 2yr-old races for the first 400m anyway, so we knew he would do that part of it right, so the mobile was definitely a tick today,'' driver Matthew Williamson said.
His father, Phil, who trains Springbank Eden, finished with a meeting double when Zhenya bounced back to form to record her second win on the Omakau track and third overall.
''Manners have let her down - same as Springbank Eden really,'' Phil Williamson said.
''If their manners are in order, they're good enough in the grade.
''We were confident that if she did things right, she's actually not the worst horse. We'll just keep racing her and, hopefully, she'll keep getting money for the owners.''
Ken and Anne-Marie Spicer tasted success at Omakau with their first runner on the course when Bettor Think Twice notched up her fourth career victory. The Spicers operate breeding establishment Rosedale Farm at Ladbrooks, and Ken Spicer is the vice-chairman of the Harness Racing New Zealand board. The Spicers, who co-bred the Bettor's Delight mare with Dave and Wendy Fleming, of Christchurch, are part of the Think Big syndicate, which includes members of the syndicate who have raced Tom And Jerry and Astral Traveller.
