Riccarton galloper He Kin Fly continued his brilliant run of form when winning the Great Easter Stakes on his home track on Saturday to register his fourth consecutive win.
The Neill Ridley-trained 6yr-old reeled in placegetters Prosecco and Kiwi Ida in the last 50m to score his eighth career win in the 1400m listed feature for rider Lee Callaway.
He Kin Fly was syndicated following his return to New Zealand when failing to adapt to Hong Kong racing after being sold out of the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stable as a young horse.
Waikato couple Bruce and Maureen Harvey were at the centre of those negotiations and have a share in the horse.
Bruce Harvey said Callaway's ride was a key to He Kin Fly scoring his second listed win from the Ridley stable on Saturday.
"That was a top ride as he had him in just the right place and made his run at just the right moment," he said.
"He can be a hard horse to get to grips with and Lee has really formed a terrific association with him.
He Kin Fly came to the Harveys after they missed out on purchasing the horse several years earlier.
"We actually were underbidders on him as a weanling when Mark and Sarah Devcich bought him," he said.
"We kept an eye on him through his early starts and when he went up to Hong Kong.
"I don't think he was suited by the harder tracks up there so when his connections retired him and were looking for a home we asked if we could take him and try him if he was sound and they agreed.
"We got him back, got him going and then sent him down to Neill. We thought the South Island tracks might suit him and that has proven correct as he has been going super ever since he went down there."
The first of the two listed features at Riccarton on Saturday, the Champagne Stakes, was won by All About Magic.
The Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained filly ran away from her rivals to win the 1200m 2yr-old feature by 2½ lengths for rider Lisa Allpress.
"She looked great today. She was probably a little bit fresh last start and raced accordingly. She is a very smart horse," Matthew Pitman said.
Saturday's meeting was a successful one for southern trainers with Brian and Shane Anderton, Ellis Winsloe and Steve Tyler scoring wins.
Tyler and fellow Wingatui trainer Terry Kennedy provided the quinella in race 9 with Dreaming Easy and Bakela.
Dreaming Easy produced a stunning finish to win her third race in just over a month in rating 72 company for rider Tanya Jonker.
The 4yr-old's winning hopes looked bleak when she was three lengths off the back of the field and about 30 lengths off leader King Kane at the 600m.
Jonker produced the same kind of heroics she provided in the recent Riverton Cup with Lil Miss Swiss by urging Dreaming Easy to produce a whirlwind finish from last.
Irish Express continued his the resurgence of his career, making it back- to-back wins when he scored in rating 65 company over 1600m for Winsloe.
The Anderton stable produced Londonderry Air to win in rating 72 company over 2000m.
