Twelve months ago leading harness racing trainer/driver Gavin Smith was seriously thinking about giving the training side of the industry away.
His team was constantly having problems and not performing on raceday and Gavin was at his wits end trying to get on top of the issues.
Fast forward twelve months and Gavin's team is flying and he is on track to have his best season in the bike since he started as a junior driver.
" The move to Ohoka has been great and from day one there the team has been on the improve."
" I have plenty of young ones coming through as well so things are looking really good for the future," Gavin told Harnesslink last night.
In the course of that conversation, the chances of Gavin's trainee Tangos Delight in the $40,000 Premier Mares Championship at Addington Raceway came up and Gavin was surprisingly bullish about her chances.
" There is no The Orange Agent or Fight For Glory involved and I think with the right run she can get a bit of it," was Gavin's view pre race.
Away well from barrier four, Gavin quickly slotted Tangos Delight into the trail behind Lightning Mach and Dexter Dunn and put the mare to sleep.
Mid race attacks by Democrat Party and Rocker Band split the field up from the 800 metres and passing the 500 metres mark Gavin was able to move off the inner and onto the back of Democrat Party.
Democrat Party mastered Rocker Band 150 metres out but at that point Gavin angled Tangos Delight into the clear and she quickly swooped on by for a decisive win.
It was an inch perfect drive by Gavin which got the reward it deserved.
The daughter of Bettor's Delight paced the 1950 metres in a very quick 2:20, a mile rate of 1:55.5 with closing sectionals of 56.3 and 28.9 and last nights win took her lifetime earnings over the $73,000 mark.
" Since Cup day this mare has been going super every start."
" In her last five starts she should have won a couple of them but she has had no luck at all and the driver stuffed it up a couple of times as well."
" She can follow speed all day and she is lethal with one run at them like that," Gavin said.
Gavin is just thankful that he still has the mare in his barn.
" The plan with Ronnie (owner) earlier in the season was to try to win a race with her before having her served but she has been racing that well we had a change of plans."
" The way she is going I don't think she is finished yet,"
That was the biggest stakes race ($40,000) that I have trained the winner of so that was a big thrill as well," Gavin said.
The Gavin Smith barn has been firing on all cylinders all season as the UDR of 3237 shows and it there are no signs of it slowing down at this stage.
Harnesslink Media