Life's a beach for Southland harness racing trainer Paul 'Tank' Ellis.
He's enjoying training a small team at Pitt Road near Oreti Beach and says the horses are enjoying it too.
One of his team, Christian Cullen mare Caballa Blanco, seems to be benefitting from the regime as well, recording a good win at Ascot Park today.
"The beach has got her happening, she's enjoying her racing and is showing a bit of speed again. At her first few starts I thought she didn't have any speed but she's got it back lately. I've always liked the beach and I'm given Ox (Wayne McEwan) a hand. We have half a dozen at any one time. We've only been going a few months. I'd like to think we could get a few more (horses) and get going a bit," said Ellis.
In today's Anchorage Café Mobile Pace driver Brent Barclay pushed her forward early before handing up to favourite Thunda Down Unda.
It was just a matter of waiting for the passing lane to arrive for Barclay and when it did the diminutive filly went into top gear and came away to win impressively by a length and a quarter.
"Brent was pretty happy with her. The thing he liked the most was the last 50 metres. She really was doing her best work then. He said she could follow any speed."
She was bred by Alan and Gail Paisley along with Liz and Allan Sloan and is out of the one win Holmes Hanover mare Love The Look.
Love The Look has a good record as a broodmare. Her first foal Got The Look (Courage Under Fire) has won twelve races in Australia. Other winners from the mare have been Love To Win (Riverboat King – five wins), Extreme Times (Extreme Three – eight wins) and Just A Delight (Bettor's Delight – nine wins).
"She's part owned by a mate of mine Scott Mortimer – a Makarewa boy who lives in America. He comes home once a year around Cup time. I think he'd like to keep her as a broodmare."
Caballo Blanco (which means White Horse) started her career with Findlay Road trainer Wayne Adams but was transferred to Ellis two months ago.
Runner up Tuas Delight, who was having his first start since January, should gain value out of today's effort.
Bruce Stewart
www.southlandharness.co.nz