Racing: Otago trainers scoop pool

Courtney Barnes (aboard Gallant Ruby) leads home a Brian and Shane Anderton-trained trifecta in...
Courtney Barnes (aboard Gallant Ruby) leads home a Brian and Shane Anderton-trained trifecta in race 6 at Wingatui yesterday. Toni Direen (centre, on Avow) and Shankar Muniandy (Gallant Boy) follow Barnes into the birdcage. Photo: Matt Smith
A clean sweep by Otago horses highlighted yesterday's twilight meeting at Wingatui.

All seven races were won by horses trained in Otago.

But the domination was further intensified in the rating 65 1400m when Brian and Shane Anderton trained the trifecta.

Gallant Ruby headed home Avow and Gallant Boy, and it looked like Gallant Ruby's full sister, Ruby Rose, was going to give their dam, Ruby's Gem, a race-to-race double when she took a gap by the rail in race 7.

But Ready To Rule, trained by Nikki and Barrie Blatch at Tapanui, held on.

The Otago run began in race 1 when the Amber Hoffman-trained Brandy lived up to her favouritism in the 2200m maiden.

The 4yr-old daughter of Darci Brahma came south from Matamata trainer Karen Fursdon after 13 starts.

''She had been going good races up in the North Island but the owners wanted a better horse and I was lucky enough to get her,'' Hoffman said.

Brandy immediately showed some ability when running second at Timaru, and looked like the one to beat yesterday after a good second at Cromwell on November 30.

However, she still has some tricks, and Hoffman said jockey Jillian Morris - standing in for Kylie Williams, who stood down from her rides yesterday due to personal reasons - was kept on her toes during the running.

''She trotted out of the gates, and Jillian said she was hanging and pulling and doing everything wrong, so she just had to let her go. But she won easy.

''She's bred to go over more ground so we'll see how she pulls up out of this and maybe go to Gore next week.''

Fascinate showed the feats of her older brother were not a flash in the pan with an impressive maiden win over 1200m.

The daughter of Falkirk is a half-sister to Bourbon Goldman, a winner of four from 18 starts in Singapore.

Bourbon Goldman, by the White Robe Lodge sire Gallant Guru, finished second in a benchmark 83 1600m at Kranji on Friday night.

Co-trainer and part-owner Brian Anderton said Fascinate, a tidy winner at the Wingatui jumpouts last week, had come back mentally and physically stronger after three starts as a 3yr-old last season.

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