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Sovereign Banner is developing an impressive strike rate but Westwood Beach trainer Graeme Anderson is not getting carried away.
The 5yr-old won a 2200m c3-c6 mobile pace at Forbury Park last night, seeing off a determined finish by Highview Freddy.
In the hands of master driver Dexter Dunn, Sovereign Banner showed some fight late in the race.
The heavens opened about midway through the programme and the track changed to easy but it caused no concern. Anderson said he was happy with the win and his charge was now bagging the victories.
"From 10 starts he has won six times, so that shows he has got the ability. He’s a nice horse," Anderson said.
"We had given him a bit of a break after the last couple of starts. Things were not quite right so we did a couple of things different and it must have worked."
The next target was most likely to be the Gore Cup later this month in Gore.
Anderson said he thought Sovereign Banner should be fine racing on a grass track for the first time.
"We’ll give him a bit of a trial on it and see how he goes. But he’s got a good pedigree, so he is a good performer."
Brads Kenny overcame the 10m mark and his own issues to dominate a c2-c6 handicap trot. He took the lead within the opening lap and was never headed. Matthew Williamson, who had driven the horse for his trainer father, Phil, said it was an impressive win. Brads Kenny was always a chance "as long as he behaves himself".
"He is the sort of horse that can lead all the way," Williamson said.
He was unsure what was up next for Brads Kenny, but there were plenty of options.
The 5yr-old had the potential to go a long way but had various issues — which were mainly in the head, Williamson said — to work out before moving up the classes. Filly Delishka showed a clean pair of heels to post the second win of her last three starts.
The 3yr-old won a c1 2200m mobile pace with Williamson the driver.
Delishka has now only been out of the money three times in eight starts and looks to be capable of progressing through the grades. Another 3yr-old, Black Raine, fulfilled her potential with a commanding victory in a fillies and mares’ c0 pace for driver Dexter Dunn.
She took the lead in the 2200m mobile event at the top of the straight and was never headed despite a charging run from Don’t Pass I’m Fast.
She had raced only once before, in April last year at Ashburton, where she disappointed.
Trainer Cran Dalgety had been working her up slowly and she trialled soundly at Ashburton last month before doing the business last night.