Tornado Valley capped a run of four seconds and a third in his last five starts to win for Ashburton trainer Terry McMillan.
Driver Gerard O'Reilly angled the 5yr-old into the passing lane and he let down with an impressive sprint to win the 2600m handicap trot.
The key to the win and the trotter's strong recent form was his ability to fly the tapes.
''He has got good manners, which puts him up there in the race. He is just a lovely trotter.''
O'Reilly also puts Tornado Valley's excellent form down to his development with age and race experience.
''He has just got stronger.''
Fellow Ashburton trainer John Hay delivered his brother-in-law a birthday present as soon as he arrived at yesterday's meeting.
Owen Wylie shares in the ownership of Nearis Green, which the Ashburton horseman trained and drove to an easy win in yesterday's opening race.
He races the American Ideal 3yr-old with Hay, Dennis James, of Christchurch, and Islington Tavern proprietor Stephen ''Sooty'' Moffett and his wife Sharyn, of Ashburton, who is Hay's sister.
Similar to Tornado Valley, Nearis Green's birthday present came on the back of four placed runs in the horse's first four race starts.
The win was expected before Wylie's birthday, but the pacer uncharacteristically got things wrong at Timaru on Friday.
''He missed away; he's never missed away in his life,'' Hay said.
''We thought he would win last week, but that is what horses are like.''
Nearis Green's wining time broke Hez Da Man's 2002 3yr-old 2000m standing-start track record by 0.1sec.
-By Jonny Turner
