Cars filled with racegoers lined the home straight to take in the Waimate racecourse's thoroughbred swansong yesterday and were treated to a stirring race.
The $25,000 feature was left with just four runners after scratchings, but that did not mean the lead would be handed to any of them easily.
Southern front-runner Come Fly With Me and rider Amless Bohorun were made to work hard to take the front from the outsider of the field, He's Irish.
Come Fly With Me established a big break on the field after that, but was challenged before the home straight by favourite Showpin.
He was in turn challenged by Wild Jack who went on to win for rider Tina Comignaghi and trainer Stephen Blair-Edie.
Progressive galloper Pippi Rea provided one of the day's racing highlights when he made it four victories in a row when winning the rating 90 1200m event.
The 5yr-old Pins gelding, who races in the colours of breeder and co-owner Valachi Downs Stud founder Kevin Hickman, sat outside the pace for Comignaghi before driving clear in the straight to score by a neat length from Riccarton visitors On Point and Saber.
Trained at Balcairn by John and Karen Parsons, the stakes-placed Pippi Rea has now won eight of his 33 career starts.
Trainer Robert Dennis and rider Tanya Jonker had the honour of winning the last race at the soon-to-be closed racecourse.
They combined to produce The Style for victory in rating 65 company over 1840m.
The future of the Waimate Racing Club will be discussed when its management meets with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing boss, Bernard Saundry, today.
Although NZTR has ruled out future racing at the Waimate track, the club is able to race at another track.
- Additional reporting NZ Racing Desk
