Westward Beach harness racing trainer Graeme Anderson is having the season of his life with winners coming as regularly as his quick wit.
Yesterday at Ascot Park he geared up three of his team for two impressive wins and an equally impressive second. Without a doubt with 28 winners on the board so far this season and with the fire power he's got he's easily going to beat his previous best training record of 35 which he recorded in 2011 with Amber Hoffman.
All Star Magician which is owned by Trevor Casey, Neil Pilcher and Anderson got the ball rolling in race three.
"He (driver Dexter Dunn) drove him a wee bit differently today. They thought he'd come out so they (other drivers) hunted to get the trail. Last week he sat parked and did the biz. I thought he could do that today but he (Dunn) decided to teach him how to race. He sat back and they ran a 26 quarter and he's come from six lengths off the lead so he's gone pretty well," said Anderson understating the talented three year old's performance.
All Star Magician storming home to win by a neck – Photo Bruce Stewart.
The Art Major gelding was initially trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen before being sent south to Anderson.
"They had six or seven three year olds that were better so the owners sent him to me. He's getting better every day and learning his trade. There is a bit of interest in buying him so if he's not bought he'll go to the Supremacy Final but I'm pretty sure after today he'll be sold."
Anderson says horse and trainer haven't always got on but things are a lot better now.
"He hasn't been easy and it's been a bit of a task for me. He had a big stable attitude and was a bit smart at times so we agreed to disagree for a while but now we're friends.He's a lovely horse to have."
Even more impressive was Anderson's other three year old Eamon Mcguire.
He drew seven behind the gate and was forced very wide going into the first bend when The Honey Badger and Envious locked wheels, disrupting a large portion of the field.
"Unbelievable today. When you get forced wide losing fifty metres going around that first bend. That was just phenomenal today. They've gone 2-39. That's just crazy and he didn't even pull the ear plugs."
At the turn commentator Dave McDonald, like others watching the race, thought the Art Major gelding was flat and may not pick up the leaders Rakarolla and Jimmy Mack. But Anderson was always confident.
Eamon McGuire getting up to beat Rakarolla – Photo Bruce Stewart.
"The great thing about him is that he can zip out of the gate if you want him to but then he'll relax and drop the bit."
His time of 2-39.8 was a new track record for three year olds. It betters the 2-40.0 he recorded on Invercargill Cup Day in January this year.
So now the talk is centring around the New Zealand Derby at Addington.
"Yeah he'll go to the Derby. There's the Flying Stakes over 1950 metres as a lead up then after the Derby the Supremacy and The Jewels I guess. Obviously he's got to step up in class but he doesn't have to go a whole lot better to be competitive."
Eamon McGuire has now won six of his eight starts.
Anderson's other runner Titan Banner ran second to Ears Burning in the Northern Southland Cup and was a victim of circumstances in his race.
"He began too well and decided to have a dig and got keen. Another horse would have run fifty yards last and he almost won today. I was a wee bit annoyed with the situation initially but on reflection it was an enormous run."
He has some big races on his radar in the next month or two.
"There's two races at Addington before the Easter Cup and I'm not too sure which one we'll go to."
Anderson's UDR record this season is .5671 – 65 starters, 28 winners, 12 seconds and 6 thirds for stakes of $143,790.
Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing