Wynne-Pitman combination keeps on trucking

Ric O’Shea returns to winning form in style at Wingatui yesterday. Photo: Matt Smith.
Ric O’Shea returns to winning form in style at Wingatui yesterday. Photo: Matt Smith.
Look out for the Wynne-Pitman combination over the spring — it is already proving to be potent.

The combination was on show at Wingatui yesterday, as jockey Samantha Wynne steered home Killa Question for his 10th career victory in the rating 75 1200m.

Remarkably, it was the 7yr-old’s first win above the rating 65 grade, and his past four career wins have come at Wingatui.

Samantha Wynne.
Samantha Wynne.
Wynne has found a top mount for the spring in the Pitman-trained First Serve, a fresh-up winner at Riccarton last week, and she is keen to maintain the partnership with the father-and-son team of Michael and Matthew Pitman after scoring three wins for them at Riccarton last Saturday.

"I’ve had to keep my foot in the door to keep the ride on First Serve. He’s been good to me — I’m riding trackwork every gallop morning there, riding five or six for them.

"It’s working well. He knows I have the trainers I’ve always ridden for, so we just work in together and I let him know in advance. It’s definitely worth a go. The horses I’ve ridden trackwork for him are nice animals."

Pitman said this season’s team was one of the best he has had, with the likes of Son Of Maher and Kinagat sure to make their mark in coming months, a statement Wynne tends to agree with.

"I’d back that. I’ve felt it myself [in trackwork] — not only First Serve but there are a good few ones there."

The Pitmans and Wynne are just kicking into gear, but Wingatui trainer Steven Prince was welcoming the return to form of an old friend when Ric O’Shea won the 1400m open handicap by 7 lengths.

The son of O’Reilly is now 9, but looked like a 3yr-old the way he bounded away from his rivals.

Prince trained Ric O’Shea to win the 2013 White Robe Lodge Handicap before the horse went north to Awapuni to be trained by Lisa Latta.

Prince was thrilled to have his former stable star back.

"He’s a very good horse. He’s had a lot of starts, I know, but he likes my environment."

While Ric O’Shea marked his return to winning at Wingatui, jockey Toni Direen signed off from Wingatui in style, and also placed herself on the cusp of a personal milestone.

Her 6-length victory aboard Dream Divine was her last race-day ride at Wingatui for the foreseeable future, as she gets ready to move to Victoria next month, but also places her on 99 career wins.

At the opposite end of the scale, Dream Divine’s win gave Wyndham trainer Rodd McKenzie his first training success.

He races the Ekraar mare with wife Denise.

But it was a training centre further south of Wyndham which provided three winners on the seven-race card.

Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler prepared Sir Jack Remington to win the opening race of the Wingatui season, before training the quinella in the Pearl Series maiden, when Rossi The Rifle headed home Flying Sardine.

Tyler also had a part to play in Civic Reception’s win.

The 4yr-old’s trainer, Amanda Soper, has been unable to work her horse, due to Soper breaking her collarbone.

Soper’s previous training wins were with In Her Wake at Riverton in May and Keep Her Secret at Gore in December 2014.

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