Well known Templeton harness racing trainer Trevor Grant is no stranger to having a good horse around his barn.
His former stable star Adio Routine won 15 races and close to a quarter of a million dollars in the late 1990s and he has always had a handy horse in the barn ever since.
Starwood In Aspen won six races trotting for Trevor and it is her Brylin Boyz son Young Stanger that is starting to put together a handy record himself.
Today at the Amberley Trotting Club's annual meeting at Rangiora Raceway, Young Stranger made a one horse race of the C1 trot.
Settling three back in the running line early, Trevor sent him forward at the 1200 metre to grab the lead and from that point it was just a matter of what he would win by as he cruised down to the winning virtually unchallenged.
Young Stranger trotted the 1950 metres from a stand on the grass in 2:37.6 with closing sectionals of 61.5 and 30.
It was the fourth lifetime win for Young Stranger and took his earnings over the $40,000 mark
If was the first driving success for Trevor for over four years but to be fair he has only had a handful of drives in that time as he has used outside drivers for his horses during most of the period.
However as Trevor explained to Harnesslink this afternoon, he will be driving Young Stranger for the foreseeable future.
" The aim for the rest of this season is to just keep him trotting in his races and build up his confidence and because I know him so well it is easier for me to drive him like I want him driven."
" He is a big gangly horse even now at six, standing over 16 1/2 hands and is not the easiest horse to drive."
" He is blind in his nearside eye so he tends to run out a touch at times and can get a bit nervous at times when things are happening that he can't see."
" You have to talk to him the whole time to get him to keep concentrating on the job or he can gallop on you."
" I think if I just take my time with him over the next few months and build those confidence levels up, then he has the ability to go a fair way," Trevor said.
Young Stranger has always looked an above average trotter and if Trevor can unlock his potential over the next few months, then the best may be yet to come.
Harnesslink Media