A daring front-running drive paid big dividends for punters and Waimate Cup winning trainer-driver Hamish Hunter.
The Ryal Bush horseman set his own rules in front to rein Acolyte to an upset victory in yesterday’s feature race.
Hunter safely stepped his charge to the lead early in the 3000m feature and set a race tempo that put his rivals out of contention, setting a steady pace and then progressively increasing the speed as the race went on.
The tactic was particularly obvious on the last trip down the back straight, when Acolyte and Hunter slipped two lengths clear of the field.
It was the beginning of the end for their rivals’ chances as the steady pace took the sprint out of them.
The tactics were a pre-race game plan that played to the horse’s staying prowess, Hunter said.
"He is a three and a-half miler," he quipped.
The win was nearly a repeat scene of the pacer’s Gore Cup win in December. There, Hunter and Acolyte also led up and their more favoured rivals could not reel them in.
Both of Acolyte’s cup wins have rocked punters: he paid more than $25 in his Waimate Cup win and more than $45 in the Gore Cup.
Though the two races were remarkably similar, one main difference was that yesterday’s win was on grass, as opposed to Gore’s all-weather surface.
Hunter made it a perfect two from two at yesterday’s meeting by training and driving Groomsman to victory in race 11.
Longtime Hunter stable supporter Graham Cooney shares in the ownership of both winners. Cooney races Acolyte on his own and Groomsman with wife Jill, brother Brendon and Vin Nally.
Burnham trainer Bruce Negus produced the second placegetter in both the Cooney-Hunter victories.
Both Highland Reign and Zimfandel could not reward Negus with a win that would lift his stable’s spirits following a frustrating week.
On Thursday, Negus had to scratch his smart 2yr-old John The Plumber from yesterday’s meeting.
The horse was likely to be out for the rest of the racing season after injuring a ligament in his leg, Negus said.
Waimate Cup race favourite Motu Premier pleased driver Tim Williams with his effort.
Having to work around the field on the consistently increasing race tempo set by Hunter was the undoing of the horse’s winning chances, he said.
"It would have been nice to get a breather for a furlong, but Hamish kept up a steady tempo."
Williams got some reward by steering Hestia Franco to victory in race 7.
The Leslie Smart-trained 6yr-old turned around disappointing recent form to score in a close finish over favourite Scotty’s Image. Yesterday’s race conditions were the key to the win, Williams said.
"A 2000m stand is her go."
Evergreen trotter Sarah Palin again took Otago trotting spoils yesterday.
After winning at Waikouaiti in February, the Margo Nyhan-trained 8yr-old returned to the province to take the Waimate club’s feature trot in the hands of driver Peter Davis.
- Jonny Turner
