CLICK HERE TO GO BACK

Ricky May & Phil Williamson

'Mr Trotting' Phil Williamson recorded the unique feat of training three consecutive winners of the Group 1 $50,000 NZ Trotting Championship when Allegro Agitato romped away with the event for the second time at Addington last Friday night.

Two years ago, Williamson drove Allegro Agitato to overcome barrier nine in leading over the last 2400 metres to score in a then race and national record of 3:16.1, spoiling the party when Lyell Creek resumed his career in New Zealand. In between, only stablemate Jasmyn's Gift has spoiled Allegro Agitato's party by downing her in a superlative display last season, recording a new race and national record of 3:15.1 which still stands. Allegro Agitato recorded 3:18.1 last Friday night, but it was no less a searching contest in the cool and breezy conditions. "They really smoked along early, and while she seemed a long way from them the race really played into our hands," said Ricky May.

Allegro Agitato had only two behind her in a strung out field passing the mile, but May was soon on the move improving three-wide in the open and took up the running passing the half, proceeding to step out a quarter down the back in 29 which had everybody off the bit, before the 7-year-old Sundon mare "eased herself down" near the finish to score by two lengths over the game Some Direction, Ruthless Jenny and Toomuch To Do in a race dominated by mares.

Cracker Nova crossed fron the outside of the front line to lead early before Castleton's Mission, in very unfamiliar territory, worked wide and into the lead at the 1900m mark and took them through a rapid lead-time of 1:15. He was ready to wave the white flag when Allegro Agitato surged up on her relentless run however, and the second favourite beat only an errant Gold home.

"She can do that - ease herself down - but she was just cruising and would have picked it up again if something had come along," said May. May has been her regular pilot this season and has also won the Ashburton Flying Mile, Group 1 NZ Trotting FFA on Cup Day and $100,000 Grand Prix at Moonee Valley in December with her.

Allegro Agitato now joins such famous names as Nigel Craig, No Response and David Moss as the only two-time winners in the 49-year history of the Trotting Championship. For May it was his third Trotting Championship, having won with Warren Stapleton's Highwood and Cedar Fella, the best trotters he has driven until Allegro Agitato. "Cedar Fella was a great horse when he was sound, and Highwood could have been anything if Warren knew then what he knows now. "But they're three completely different horses - Allegro Agitato has more speed and is sound for a start."

It was Williamson's fourth training win in the event, having first signalled his arrival on the big-time trotting scene in 1996 with Role Model who downed Call Me Now, Chiola Cola and Diamond Field. Williamson, who races Allegro Agitato with Oamaru breeders Michael and Ronnie Lauren, said she will now head for "whatever mobile races there are for open class trotters," which is likely to mean a $15,000 preferential draw 2600m affair at Addington next Saturday night. If not, having accomplished her solitary mission this time in, Allegro Agitato will head to the spelling paddock before Williamson initially sets her for a crack at a third consecutive Ashburton Mile win and then suitable races at the NZ Cup Meeting, Auckland and Melbourne again.

"It is tempting to look at the Rowe Cup again, but with Delft on ten metres she is going to be jammed in there (off the front) and there's probably not much point - it's not really an option," said Williamson. "Her record from a mobile - in fact her record overall if you eliminate the races where she took no part - is quite outstanding though, and we'll just keep her to those now," he added.

While Allegro Agitato began her career with 19 races from a stand and won eight of them, more recently they have been a disaster for her and include blowing the start in the last two Dominion and Rowe Handicaps. Her only win from a stand since scoring from a 10m handicap at Addington in January, 2004, was at Gore from 40m a fortnight before the Trotting Championship in her only lead-up race. "She can be okay with nobody behind her, and that served as a suitable race to clean her up."

In 16 races from a mobile in New Zealand, Allegro Agitato has now won seven and been placed as many times, only failing to pay a dividend twice at Alexandra Park when fifth behind Delft over Christmas when noticeably below her best form, and in last year's Inter-Dominion when she galloped on her only occasion behind the gate. Overall, her record in 45 starts in 17 wins, eight seconds and eight thirds for stakes worth $356,382, with the promise of much more to come from such a lightly-raced mare.

Allegro Agitato is known about the stables as 'Cindy', a name given to her by the Laurens when she was a foal. "She grew up in a paddock with two other fillies, which looked like ugly sisters compared to her, so they called her Cinderella," said Williamson. "I've had cause to call her a few other names at times, but we all love her," he added.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in HRWeekly 5Apr06

Sue Martin & Nicole Thorn

Sue Martin has never cared much for the limelight. She's not used to it, doesn't like it, and even cringes at the thought of stepping up to a microphone to splutter out a victory speech following any big-race win.

Martin's no stranger to such requirements though, because for years she shared a partnership with Neil Brady on both a professional and personal basis, and during that time the couple won a lot of races with the likes of Franco Ice and Sweet Talking Man. Back them Martin stayed backstage and out of the spotlight when it came to acknowledgement, quite content that she'd played her part behind the scenes. But these days she has got no choice, because things have changed. Brady's no longer in the picture, and Martin part-owns and trains a horse that is going to put her onto the victory dias time and time again. His name is Gotta Go Cullen.

"When Neil went to Australia in 2004, I thought he was just going on another one of his stints," Martin said, remembering when she and Brady parted ways. "But he didn't come back. He probably thought the place would fall apart without him - and that only made me more determined to do it, to succeed." Gotta Go Cullen is ample proof that Martin's certainly doing that. She bought the colt and his dam Sparkling Burgundy from a northern broodmare sale when he was still a foal at foot, and now the son of Christian Cullen has won five of his seven raceday appearances after taking out the $50,000 Group 2 Bromac Lodge NZ Welcome Stakes at Addington last Friday night.

Parked early before being taken to the front by Nicole Thorn, Gotta Go Cullen settled beautifully in the role until Thorn asked him to stretch out inside the last furlong. Fergiemack temporarily looked a threat when he burst from the pack 100 metres out, but Gotta Go Cullen revelled in having a new challenger and pulled clear again by half a length at the line. "It was good to feel him kick again," Thorn said afterwards. "He has been knocking off inside the last fifty metres of his races, because nothing has been sticking with him. He really flattens out when you ask him - like Christian Cullen did when he used to get let down. It's unbelievable being associated with Gotta Go Cullen, because he is just a super, super animal. And not that he isn't already, but he is going to be a very nice horse; I mean, look at him - he's like a three-year-old now," Thorn said.

Gotta Go Cullen had only raced at Cambridge and Alexandra Park prior to last Friday night, meaning little more than a twelve hour round trip from his home in Pakiri Beach, and last week's trek to Christchurch was also Martin's first venture south "on my own." Victory speech included, she was pleased once it was all over. "It's pretty scary coming all that way," she said, highlighting that the time between leaving home and arriving in Christchurch was over 37 hours. I was concerned, because it's a long way for a baby. But he just eats everything, and takes it in his stride. We stayed at Lavros Lodge, which was really good, and on arrival his tail was up and he was prancing around - the guys that shipped him said they had never seen a horse get off the truck looking so good. But I couldn't have done this without the help of Nicole and her fiance Dean (Molander), who have been great," Martin said.

The trip was a good dress rehearsal for when Gotta Go Cullen will return to Christchurch again in May fo the Sires' Stakes Final, and Martin says he will be off to Australia for the Breeders' Crown after that.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 5Apr06

Gretmaro out-finishes Affairs Of State (inside)

As youngsters, less than a year from their mums, they came through the ring in all shapes and sizes. A little, unpretentious daughter of Holmes Hanover from an unraced Nero's B B mare was one of them. She didn't raise any interest, and Lew Driver was the only serious audience she had. When she went through the ring, Driver had her in his sights, and for $4500 her took her home.

Later in the day, an In The Pocket filly from the grand racemare Under Cover Lover named Affairs Of State went under the hammer. She was a serious target and went for $90,000.

"I really liked her brother who came from the Sales," recalled Driver. "I got a offer, and when I couldn't pay the bills at the time, I let him go. When I saw this filly, I thought she had a nice, wee head. She was small type, a little on the fine side, but she looked as if she could run early," said Driver.

He bought her from Lincoln breeder Hamish Roberts for his nephew 'CJ', and as Gretamaro she is rivalled only by Western Dream as the best 3-year-old filly in New Zealand. She has never missed a big event, and had raced twice as many times as any other horse in the $130,000 PGG Wrightson NZ Yearling Sales Fillies Pace at Addington last week. She won the race, not easily from Affairs Of State, but it would be fair to say she never reallly looked like not winning it. It was her ninth win and her stakes won went to $233,554.

Driver was right when he gave driver Robbie Holmes credit for his judicious handling of the filly. He did not go to town over the first 2-300 metres, an the wisdom of this move paid off because he was able to secure cover three-back on the outer. At the 1200m, he gently eased out, and was in front and ahead of Affairs Of State at the 900m. The danger then was how well the lightly-tried, splendidly-bred but not race-hardened Affairs Of State would respond to a dust-up with the finely-honed Gretamaro. For a start, and even till near the end, Affairs Of State gave Gretamaro what-ho. It was a grim struggle, but 30 metres out, Gretamaro had her nose in front, and 20 metres further on, had a fraction more, and there was a convincing half a head between them at the end.

Driver is a meticulous trainer. He likes his horses to have their own paddock, and old Gaelic Skipper, who won him nearly $400,000, is there to keep Gretamaro company. "I'm happy to take the grass to the horse, rather than the horse to the grass. I'm very fussy, and I treat them all like individuals. There's a hot wire between them, but she'll kick out if anything happens that she doesn't like. And I've got to work her. She finished on Wednesday running half in a minute. She's not a horse I can cheat on," he said.

Next for Gretamaro is the Southland Oaks, and later the New Zealand Oaks and the Nevele R Fillies Final. And that, as a racehorse, will be the end of it. "She'll come back as an eight or nine-win horse, and that will be to tough for her," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 22Feb06

Mainland Banner winning the Breeders Stakes

Between now and her next race, there will be some fine-tuning to Mainland Banner's training regime. After another hard blow following her latest win, at Addington last Friday night, trainer Robert Dunn intends to step it up.

He knew she was short of a hard run before winning the Caduceus Club of Canterbury Premier Mares' event over 1950m the previous week, but he was sure it would top her off nicely for the $100,000 PGG Wrightson Breeders' Stakes.

Without making a meal of it, Mainland Banner duly won, beating Imagine That by a length and a quarter and Nick Off Holme by nearly two. After being settled on the outer by Ricky May, Mainland Baner went forward at the 1250m, sat parked soon after and came away for a comfortable win by a margin that may have flattered her rivals.

"Ricky said she did not feel as sharp as she did at Cup time," said Dunn. "But she only did what she had to, and I felt she was coming away again over the last twenty metres. "She blew hard again. We've had a roundtable since, and we feel we have to increase her work a bit."

Dunn expects her to take it in her stride because she is so relaxed in training. "This is her greatest weapon, and as she matures she is getting stronger. This is the first time she has backed up with a race two weeks in a row. The other time was last May when she was very tired after the Oaks."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWEEKLY 9Feb06

All class....Mainland Banner

Mainland Banner's going to struggle to produce a more unbelievable performance than she did in last November's NZ Cup, but when she resumed at Addington last Friday night it left onlookers thinking "wow" for a whole lot of others reasons.

Last week's $35,000 Group 2 Premier Mares'Championship was Mainland Banner's first appearance since her dramatic Cup win, and she was up against some very classy and race-hardened girls.

So when she was used out of the gate to find the front, got taken on vehemently during the running by firstly Nursemaid and then Nick Off Holme, she was literally a sitting duck for those in behind her that had had a soft trip. But this is Mainland Banner we're talking about. One reminder with the whip, a dozen double-handed shakes of the reins, and Mainland Banner proved once again that she is the best there is.

"She was always going to need the run, so I suppose that the way the race panned out she was vulnerable," said trainer Robert Dunn afterwards. "Ricky (May) wasn't going to use her early, he was going to nurse her round the first bend and then move forward. But when That's Life Lavra put a rough stride in at the start, he had no choice. So it is nice to know that she has got gate speed as well. She was tested tonight, and she knew it too because she blew afterwards. She has been as bright as a button ever since though," he said.

Mainland Banner steps out again this week in the PGG Wrightson Standardbred Breeders' Stakes, and although she was beaten the only other time she raced twice within seven days, Dunn thinks it is a totally different story this year.

"When Molly Darling got her in the Nevele R Fillies' Final it was the end of her 3-year-old season - she had gone from qualifying to a superstar in the space of about four months," he said. "She had travelled south a couple of times, and the Oaks win a week prior had taken the edge off her. But right now she is on the way up, and she will improve with that run for sure."



Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 1Feb06

Last year's yearling sales top lot Mombassa came $30,000 closer to recouping his $155,000 price tag on Friday night at Addington. The Cran Dalgety representative won the $50,000 PGG Wrightson Yearling Sales Southern Graduate in the hands of regular driver Colin De Filippi, and took out the event with arrogant ease.

Untouched in the run home Mombassa paced his final 400m in 28.2 comfortably, Jackson Street was second two lengths from the winner and Christian Cullen colt Carlos was third a further two lengths behind second. The younger brother of Elsu, Mombassa has won twice in four attempts and has placed once also. His total earnings now already sit at $35,000, still a long way from his expensive initial price tag though.

Dalgety indicated that an assault on the Breeders Crown series in August could be on the cards for the son of In The Pocket.



Credit: Harness Racing NZ

The Weekly celebrates the Williamson's win

The relatively quick rise to prominence by Nathan Williamson has a summit of some importance just ahead - such as driving his parents' star trotter Jasmyn's Gift in the Dominion Handicap at Addington. Nathan has been driving for a little over 12 months, yet alredy has shown a steady head for handsome results: 279 drives, for 23 wins and 33 minor placings.

This really does nothing more than make his father Phil acknowledge the fact his son is shaping pretty well. "I hate to say it but I predictee before he started out that he would make the grade, not that I thought he would get to this stage so soon. I had seen enough of him at gymkhanas and workouts to think he was a natural as far as driving was concerned. If he was anyone else's kid, you'd say he was pretty talented," he said.

He could easily have passed that compliment to his son after winning the Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington last Thursday, in which Nathan used sound judgement to make his move round the field in the middle stages and, as a result, completed it with an easy run to the finish.

"It is a confidence thing as well," said Phil, who trains the mare and races her with his wife, Bev. "I'm sure there are other young people out there with similar ability, but they will not get the opportunities to show it."

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 20Sep06

Crag Edmonds accepting the Oaks Trophy

It's not often Craig Edmonds takes three to a meeting. He hadn't done so for 18 years prior to last Friday night when he loaded Harriet Hughes, Ella Powell and Earl of Mot onto the float and drove to Addington. The fact that all three horses were out of Eilish Mac is quite remarkable, and Edmonds walked away with almost the perfect result when Harriet Hughes notched up victory number five and Ella Powell took out the $35,000 Group 2 NZ Trotters Trust Trotting Oaks.

Ella Powell produced an incredible effort when coming from well back with a powerful finish to win the Oaks in record time, crediting Edmonds with his biggest career win in the process. "It's good to get a victory at any time, but to win two on a Premier Night - well, that takes beating," a noticeably hoarse Edmonds said afterwards. Ella's a lot heavier than Harriet, and takes a bit of work. She hasn't got a lot of speed, but sticks on good."

On lease from breeder Ivan McNicholl, Ella Powell is raced by Edmond's wife Donna, their daughter Jenna and Donna's sister Makere Tahurangi. Both McNicholl and Tahurangi were supposed to be there on the night, but fog in Wellington stranded their planes and they missed out on seeing the victory. Edmonds is seriously considering lining the Earl filly up in the NZ Trotting Derby this Friday night, so if she steps out again it's hoped that the rest of her fan-club will be on-course to witness it.

"I trained horses for Ivan for years when I used to be in Wellington," Edmonds said. "But then about nineteen years ago I took up a job with Air New Zealand, because the kids were little and I wanted something with a bit of security. We transferred to Christchurch, and then the chance to get a wee bit of land came up so we bought Steve Little's old place. One of the main reasons I train is to give Aimee opportunities."

Aimee is the couple's youngest of three daughters, at 19. She started driving last season and won one of her four appearances, and this term she's displayed maturity way beyond her years on the track and saluted the judge five more times. Known as 'babe' around the Edmonds family's Motukarara stable, Ella Powell is normally "my" horse says Aimee. As much as the teenager enjoyed watching the big occasion last Friday night, it wasn't hard to tell that she would have loved being out there herself even more.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 29Mar06

Out in front & lonely...Western Dream

Quite simply, Western Dream's 13 rivals were just not in the same league as her. With the exception of Tosti Girl, few have even come close at any stage of the season, and in the absence of her greatest rival Western Dream once again reminded us about how got she really is with a crushing victory in the $100,000 Group 1 Wayne Francis Memorial NZ Oaks.

Starting from the outside of the second row, Western Dream gave them all a start, looped the field, sat parked, and ran away to win by an ever-increasing five and a half lengths. It was a far more dominant display than the Badlands Hanover filly's Nevele R Series Final win a week earlier, which trainer/ driver Tony Herlihy got an inkling about from the moment he started to warm her up. "Even in the prelim she felt like she had improved from the week before," Herlihy said. "Mark (Purdon) had said she had been jumping out of her skin at his place, and like all good athletes she had really tightened up."

Western Dream headed home with Herlihy after her victory, as there are more goals in store for the remainder of the season yet. "We are going to go across for the Victorian Oaks and the Breeders' Crown," he continued. "It has been the plan right along to just take it from race to race, but she seems to have come through her trip south really great so we may as well go when you are racing for that sort of money."

Money isn't something that Western Dream has ever had any difficulty earning, because after Friday's victory she has now won 13 and tallied a whopping $325,480 in stakes for her breeder/owners Vin and Daphne Devery. Like the programming decisions that concern the filly, Herlihy and the Deverys have also shared the training duties throughout Western Dream's career as well, Devery having his name alongside hers in the racebook five times and Herlihy the other 12.

Their association goes back many years, and one of the first horses Herlihy ever drove for the couple was Western Dream's dam Dreamy Atom, steering her to victory in the last of her six wins, the 1994/95 NZ Sires' Stakes Fillies Championship. "I am just really grateful that Vin and Daph decided to place her with me," Herlihy said, humbly. "It's great to have horses like her in the stable, and when they kick on from the ability they showed as a young horse like she has." So is Western Dream anything like her mother? "No, not really," Herlihy answered. "Dreamy Atom was a smaller, stockier mare, whereas Western Dream is not. She was actually quite rangy as a 2-year-old, but she has strengthened up now though."

Following her sojourn across the Tasman, Western Dream will be spelled and return sometime around Christmas. Like every year when there is a standout 3-year-old filly, it will then be a question of how well she will come back the following season. "She is the type that will stay as good," Herlihy said. "Sometimes you know if good youngsters aren't going to get much better, but she has always had the scope to suggest that she will improve a lot. And I have always thought she has got a lot of stamina. I know the overall time the other night wasn't flash, but I think her effort proves that to a degree."


Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 24May06

On paper, last week's Southern Trust Dominion Trotting Handicap hinted at being a battle of two stables. 'Team Williamson' had three runners in the Group 1 event - Jasmyn's Gift, Allegro Agitato and One Over Kenny - and Kevin Fairbairn lined up the grossly under-rated Whatsundermykilt and his ever consistent half-brother Glenbogle; between them the five trotters had won almost every major lead-up race prior to last Friday night's $150,000 thriller. And that form stacked up...in the end, Whatsundermykilt pounced from the trail and packed too much punch for One Over Kenny and the pacemaking Jasmyn's Gift after a drive by Shane Walkinshaw that Fairbairn described as "inch perfect".

"After we got such a good draw, the plan was to begin and hopefully lead then hand up to somethihg good," Walkinshaw said afterwards. Whatsundermykilt really is an amazing horse, and you've got to hand it to Kevin because both of them have got such great manners. I couldn't believe they were writing us off after his Show Day run (seventh); he just didn't handle the wet, and I was rapt in the way he ran home that day."

Ever since he first began his career, Whatsundermykilt looked as if he would go all the way to the top. Fairbairn has nursed the son of Sundon and nurtured that potential, and last week it was realised with a victory which was the biggest by far for everyone concerned - horse, owners, trainer and driver.

"Last year was going to be his year, but he nearly cut his leg off when he got it caught in a grill here one day at the trials," an emotional Fairbairn said. "I always knew he was something special this horse, because in the early days he used to give them a furlong start and still run in the money. Having Shane on him has made a huge difference, too. But no, this is very special... you know, you foal the old mare, then you have the horse on the property every day bar the ones when he's been out for a spell or in Aussie. That takes a lot of beating."

Talking of Australia, that's where Whatsundermykilt and Glenbogle are headed next and we'll fly out on December 3. Venturing across the Tasman with his two trotters is not new for Fairbairn because he has done it for a few years now, and he is adamant about the reasons why. "What, should we leave them at home and waste them?" he said. "There is a lot for them over there between now and February - the Bill Collins Mile, Grand Prix, Dullard Cup and Australian Trotters Championship, not to mention the Inter-Dominions in between. I chose not to start 'Scotty' (Whatsundermykilt) in the race that 'Glen' (Glebogle) won on Cup Day because he's not as heavy as the other horse. Besides, I actually thought that the stake - for the main trotting event on Cup Day - was pitiful; they couldn't both win it."

Whatsundermykilt and Glenbogle, sons of three-win Kiltie Boy mare Happy Highlander, have now won 11 races each and over $515,000 between them. The mare's due to foal to Sundon any day soon, her connections hoping for a filly, and she will be going back to the same stallion. Oddly enough, Happy Highlander's first foal was the Greg Patron pacer Jimmy Patron, who Fairbairn trained to run three placings from 19 starts. Six seasons passed before Happy Highlander foaled again - that being last Friday's Dominion winner, who's noe eight. Glenbogle's a 7-year-old by Armbro invasion, and following since have been Highland Rascal (6yo gelding by Simon Roydon, six unplaced starts to date), Glenloch (4yo gelding by Armbro Invasion, unraced to date), Lexie Highlander (3yo filly by Armbro Invasion) and Tossthecaber (2yo gelding by Armbro Invasion). "Glenloch's away with the fairies at this stage, but can trot nice; LexieHighlander has been turned out and is not bad, and Kerry O'Reilly liked Tossthecaber when he broke him in for us," Fairbairn said.

Credit: John Robinson writing in HRWeekly 29Nov06