The marvellous run of Otago’s latest harness racing training partnership, that of Graeme Anderson and Mike Love, rolled on at the Central Southland Raceway today.
Anderson and Love who train at Westwood Beach, has only been in action since the beginning of the new season. From just eight runners they’ve produced four winners and there looks to be more in store for the pair and their stable driver Matty Williamson.
Who’s Smokin got the wheels spinning in Race Seven today by blasting the mobile arm from gate eight to take up the running. From there Williamson controlled the tempo and after being passed by Foregone Conclusion half way down the straight, she came back to win by a head.
“Very good run from her. She’s a big dumb filly who’s just starting to work things out. She’s got great gate speed and she travelled really nicely today. Coxies one (Foregone Conclusion) put half a length on her but she fought back and won it. There’s enough ability there,” said Williamson after the run.
Who’s Smokin is out of the Falcon Seelster mare Who’s The Bird which won two races for Kevin Court. Her best foal Smokin Bird won ten races including the 2015 Group Two Southland Oaks. Another one of the mare’s foals High Courage won eighteen races in Australia before being exported to America.
In the next race the Anderson/Love colours struck again when Tres Chic took the next step and won her second race in seven days.
Horses often find it hard to win their second race as they’re pitted against harder one and two win horses. But not Tres Chic.
“Being up a grade, it was a hell of a good effort to stick on the way she did,” Williamson said.
Williamson pushed the Mach Three mare through from the outside of the second row and ended up following favourite Tulsa Jaccka through in the outside running line. But Tres Chic was carted three wide before reaching the lead with a lap to run.
“Even though we were following them out she had to do her fair share of work in that first bit.”
The challenges came like a cavalry charge as the field straightened with some runners coming six wide but Tres Chic showed a good level of toughness to outstay them all, winning by three quarters of a length from Tulsa Jaccka.
Tres Chic is owned locally by Stewie Gillan in partnership with Anderson, and has continuing improvement has impressed Williamson.
“She looked quite good at the trials before her first start but had a few minor gear changes. She got her head down and went a bit rough in those first starts. They’ve put an over check on her and that seems to be the key. She’s just got better and better. Mike thinks she’ll turn into a nice stayer and she’s got a good turn of foot to go with it too.”
Meanwhile the stable’s tightest assessed horse Spirit Of St Louis will head to Addington for the Maurice Holmes Vase on the 28th August.
Bruce Stewart