If only harness racing was this easy all the time.
The Oamaru connections of The Silver Fox could not have cared less about their saturated home town yesterday, as Silver Fox gave them the rarest of outcomes - their first trotter to the races winning at his first start.
The Pegasus Spur gelding was a $19,000 purchase for Keith and Lynn Stevens and their friends, Andy and Mary-Claire Anderson, at the 2010 yearling sales in Christchurch and the purchase stems back to trainer Phil Williamson's time working at the Oamaru tannery with Keith Stevens.
''I worked with Phil at the tannery for many years,'' Stevens said.
''I went to China for 10 years and when I came back, Phil always said he'd sort us out with something decent.
''So we went to the sales and the result is The Silver Fox, so we're delighted.''
Being first-time owners, the Stevenses and the Andersons were very much in Williamson's hands.
''We know a horse if it's got four legs and a tail, and that's about it. We let Phil make all the decisions.''
The 4yr-old gelding trotted past stablemate Danny Cool in the last 200m, at which point a loud cheer erupted from the public grandstand from The Silver Fox's fan club, which included visitors from Queenstown and Christchurch.
''We had about 30 people come to see the Fox in his maiden run, so there has been a bit of pressure on the horse.
''He loves Oddfellows, so we're just away to get his bag of Oddfellows.''
Stevens is setting up a business importing apparel from China, while Anderson is a builder in Oamaru.
''We are first-time owners so it's very much a thrill for us.
''It's taken a bit of time, but we're rapt with the result.''
The Silver Fox is the first winning foal out of 8-win Sundon mare Valley Of The Moon, but had to overcome some tendon issues as an early 3yr-old before he eventually qualified at Oamaru last month.
