New Zealand Cup week is over for another year. Racing/sports reporter Matt Smith looks back on the highs and lows.
1. Terror To Love's phenomenal win in the New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday is well in the lead of the memories from cup week.
Ironic, really, as the lead was a long way away from the champion when he botched the start. To put in the run he did from there, and for the driving legend that is Ricky May to realise how much horsepower he had left, speaks volumes about both horse and driver.
The applause as the pair returned to the winner's circle was tremendous. If Terror To Love is back again next year, who would bet against him?
2. The weather at Riccarton on the final day of New Zealand Cup week set the tone for what was clearly going to be a huge day.
And it didn't disappoint, as an announcement came over the public address system at 2.30pm advising that the gates were closed - a full house, no less.
A large part of the crowd belted out the national anthem just before the New Zealand Cup, with vocal cords no doubt lubricated by various tipples throughout the day.
3. Salutes. There were a few over the week - ranging from Leith Innes on Costa Viva in the 1000 Guineas, and Mark Jones in the Dominion Trot - but the best has to belong to Kerryn Tomlinson, who won the Kidz Kartz New Zealand Trotting Cup on Show Day.
Her salute lasted for a good 20m which - when you're driving behind a small pony - can take quite a while.
4. It was a tough week for many in the racing industry with several deaths during the week putting a dampener on festivities, but sometimes trainers - and animals - seem to respond to tragedy.
The sudden death of Jonny Pitman - the son of leading trainer Michael Pitman - on Wednesday night rocked the thoroughbred fraternity, and John Devlin's death on Tuesday morning, from cancer, was tough news for his friends to take on New Zealand Trotting Cup day.
Ruakaka trainer Donna Logan dedicated Durham Town's Stewards Stakes win at Riccarton on Wednesday to Devlin, while Canterbury trainer/driver Jim Curtin honoured his father, Reg, who died on Tuesday aged 77, with a driving win behind Flying Frances - in Reg's colours - at Ashburton on Thursday.
5. It's never difficult to be pleased for those trainers, drivers or jockeys who have reached new heights in their careers.
Marcie Flipp had her biggest night in greyhound racing with her win in the group 2 Galaxy Sprint, while Mark Jones was rightfully proud to have trained and driven Master Lavros to a group 1 Dominion Trot win on Friday.
As for Pembrook Benny, group 1 races weren't a new experience for him, but he had certainly done his apprenticeship before finally earning his stripes in Friday's group 1 free-for-all.
