Invercargill harness racing trainer Brent Shirley has always had a high opinion of Live Or Die entire Fiddlethefool and yesterday at the Wairio meeting at Winton he beat a small but handy field of class two pacers.
It was a nice change of luck for Shirley whose team was struck down by a bad virus at the beginning of the season; Fiddlethefool being one of the worst affected.
"He got very crook. He had swelling in the legs and nose," he said.
From an inside second row draw driver Nathan Williamson settled in behind favourite Thisismylastflight which led. With just over 1900 metres to run Williamson came out of the trailing position and attempted to lead but Thisismylastflight and driver Craig Thornley said no. With a lap to run Mr Handleman and Mark Hurrell came forward giving the favourite no peace.
"Nathan had a go then Mark Hurrell took over and softened the leader up for us."
Once the passing lane came up Williamson speared Fiddlethefool up the inside and he got up to beat Thisismylastflight by a neck with three lengths back to the third horse – a game Roxy Dale.
Fiddlethefool gets up on the inside to beat Thisismylastflight Photo Bruce Stewart.
"He does it so easy. There's always going to be improvement there."
The runnerup is part-owned by Southland farrier Brendon Franks and banter between himself and Shirley had been flowing all week.
"Franksie and I had a few jugs on it actually."
Franks said afterwards that he struggles to beat Shirley in an agruement so he was hoping he could do it on the racetrack. But it wasn't to be this time.
Fiddlethefool is owned by Shirley's wife Raywyn and was bred by Bill and Karen Grice out of their Holmes Hanover mare Glowing Hanover.
"When Bill went into care Mrs Grice gave me the mare. Bill and I raced all the other ones out of her. We thought she wasn't in foal. I chucked her out on a rough block at Sandy Point. I went out to get her one day and she was running around with a black colt on her. That was him."
So how did team Shirley come up with the name?
"He's actually named after Norm Scott (former Racecourse Investigator). His stable name is Scotty and Fiddlethefool was a famous saying of Norm's. I think he's a very smart horse. He's still learning. Last year he was just a big dummy but he had ability."
Fiddlethefool's full-brother Thrill Factor won five races when trained by Shirley between 2011 and 2013.
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing