Nicky Chilcott is thankful for Everything.
The 45-year-old Cambridge horsewoman has Everything to thank for back-to-back Otaki Country Cups victories and has Everything to thank for notching up her 400th and 401st training victories last weekend.
Everything, a 5-year-old Sands A Flying gelding, won yesterday’s (Sunday) $10,000 Boundary Oceans Otaki Cup for the R60 and faster pacers.
This time last year Chilcott was celebrating her Wellington Cup – Otaki Cup double when Jet Black Shadow won on both days of the Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club's grass track meeting.
"I actually think Everything was good enough to emulate Jet Black Shadow's double of last year, but I thought it was a big step up for him to line up in the Wellington Cup on the first day (Friday), so I put him in a R56 to R80 event.
"On hindsight I was probably being a bit cautious. Looking back now though he amazes me. To win on both days like he did is an absolute delight.
"I'm going to have to be careful where I place him now because I don't want him to whip through the grades too quick. The Country Cups Final is now his main goal and I don't want him to be off a long mark in that," Chilcott said.
Everything notched up his third and fourth wins from just eight starts at Otaki – but more importantly created the milestone for Chilcott.
"To win 400 races as a trainer and to be sitting on 598 driving victories is absolutely amazing.
"I'm just a small-town country girl who trains a few out of Cambridge. It's quite hard getting owners these days and for me to have almost 1,000 wins as both a trainer and a driver is quite humbling," Chilcott said.
"It is extremely satisfying. I am very proud of the achievement," the Cambridge horsewoman added.
Everything, who is out of the seven-win ($45, 478) Camtastic mare For The Girls, won his 2100m mobile by a neck on Friday in 2:41.4 (mile rate 2:03.7) with final 800m and 400m sprints of 61.3 and 32.3.
Then two days later he cleaned up his Otaki Cup field by one-and-three-quarter lengths pacing the 3000m stand off the front in 3:57.1 (mile rate 2:07.1) and home in 58.5 and 30.6.
He was the $2 favourite on day one and the $6.40 favourite on the second day.
"He amazed me what he did on Sunday. After Friday’s race he was such a tired horse. I didn't think he had it in him to win the Otaki Cup over 3000 metres.
"That was a really brave performance. I'm going to look after him now. I'll take him home and sit down and plan where we go from here. He's achieved so much in such a short time," Chilcott said.
Everything won four of his first five workouts before qualifying 4.6 seconds under time at Cambridge Raceway on July 9 in 2015.
"Les White, who works for me, noticed that the horse wasn’t doing much and I got the horse through him. He did a lot of his early work, so the horse is a credit to him,” Chilcott said.
She said Everything galloped on debut at Alexandra Park on August 14 and then defibrillated next start. He was then turned out and has come back a new horse winning four of his last six starts.
Everything was bred by Hambletonian Limited. He is owned by the Summer Fun Number 1 Syndicate.
“We formed the Syndicate because a lot of people wanted me to get them involved in racing. We have had a wee bit of success to date but nothing major.
“It’s all about fun and affording what you can. Some of the 30 to 40 owners might only only a hair out of the tail but they will have fun. I’m sure they did tonight even though I didn’t see too many on-course.
“A big shout out must go to Jess Smith because she made this Syndicate happen. She did a fantastic job helping me get owners for this horse,” Chilcott said.
Chilcott had a good day at the office on Sunday. Her 8-year-old Continentalman brown mare, Hot Chocolate Tart finished a close second behind Silver Stream and Jay Abernethy in the feature trot – the $7,000 Pegasus Spur At Woodlands Stud R50 and faster handicap.
"She's has also done a wonderful job. She's won eight races now, but is coming to the end of her racing career because she is in foal," Chilcott said.
Duane Ranger