Little Joe may have been retired, but Cullen's Finest is a ready-made replacement for Geoff and Jude Knight in the claiming ranks.
The 7yr-old Christian Cullen gelding gave back to the Knights, along with the Corner Shop and Monday Knight syndicates which also raced Little Joe, at his second start in the stable after being claimed at Forbury Park in late January.
Little Joe was retired after bowing a tendon earlier this year, and Knight said Cullen's Finest looked like a good option to take Little Joe's spot.
''The same syndicates are involved, and at $5000, we thought he was really worth it,'' Knight said.
While the 6yr-old and older mobile pace on Thursday night was not a claiming race, several of Cullen's Finest's rivals are likely to be at Forbury over winter when the winter claimers' series begins, which is where Cullen's Finest will end up.
''These races suit him and the claiming races will suit him great. We'll just keep him for the winter,'' Knight said.
Woodlea Legend is only 4, but it felt like an age between wins for his trainer, Tom Twidle, when the son of Grimfromeartoear won on Thursday.
In fact, Woodlea Legend's last win was at Nelson in June last year, but Twidle and wife Sharon have had their hands full figuring him out.
''We've just had a few problems with the horse,'' Tom Twidle said.
''We've just been struggling sorting him out, trying all sorts of things.
''He's had a lot of breathing problems and we've had some help from different trainers.
Woodlea Legend's win topped off the Twidles' trip from Rangiora after his half-sister, Woodlea DJ, finished fourth in the 3yr-old fillies' heat.
Both horses are half-siblings of Live Dangerously, who won five of his 14 starts in New Zealand before finishing third in the 2010 Western Australia Derby.
