Night for the 'roughies' at Alexandra Park harness racing: Friday June 26

Night for outsiders at 'The Park'

Harnesslink News Room 01:28 AM 27-Jun-2009 NZT

Richard Brosnan with Sunny's Bar - not long after their upset win at Alexandra Park tonight.

Long known as a favourites track, Alexandra Park reeled off more than its fair share of surprises at the Thames Harness Racing Club's meeting tonight (Friday). With driving rain coming and going throughout the evening, five horses paid double figure win odds, including two which paid more than $30 to win.

Ardmore horseman Richard Brosnan played his part ensuring the $14.80 average win payout tonight driving two of his team to victory at outside odds. The veteran horseman won the second and third events with pacer Baltic Warrior ($17.50) and trotter Sunny's Bar ($31.20). They were Brosnan's 10th and 11th wins of the season. He also drove both.

Baltic Warrior, the eighth favourite in the 12-horse $10,000 Insurance Plus Maiden Pace, thrived in the slushy conditions winning by two-and-a-half lengths clocking 2:49.6 (mile rate: 2:04.) for the 2200m mobile. It was the Lislea 5-year-old gelding's first win in 25 starts.

Sunny's Bar, a 6-year-old Sundon gelding, notched up his third win in 24 starts in the $10,000 Ngatea Handicap for one-to-six-win trotters. His wins was just as easy winning by one-and-a-quarter lengths trotting the 2700m stand in 3:38 - mile rate: 2:09.9. He was the rank outsider in the 10-horse field.

Throw in the Tony Grayling trained and driven Easys Dream ($10.20) in the first race and the stablemates combined to pay a $66,481.50 treble (for $1) in the first three races.

However it was the Wayne Thomas trained and Nicky Chilcott driven Titian Sun that really rocked the punters in the $10,000 Pauanui Handicap for one-plus-win trotters. Like Sunny's Bar, this Sundon 6-year-old gelding was also the despised outsider in the field of 10.

He held on to win the 2700m standings start event by three quarters of a length, paying a whopping $59.20 in the process. It was his fourth victory in 32 starts. Winning time: 3:34.6 - mile rate: 2:07.9.

Results from the Thames Harness Racing Club's meeting at Alexandra Park tonight (Friday) were:

Race 1: The Tony Grayling trained and driven Easys Dream.

Race 2: The Richard Brosnan trained and driven Baltic Warrior.

Race 3: The Richard Brosnan trained and driven Sunny's Bar.

Race 4: The Shane Smith trained Kahuna Bromac (Frank Cooney).

Race 5: The Kevin Judson trained Day In Calcutta (Hayden Cullen).

Race 6: The Sue Martin trained Family Spirit (Peter Ferguson).

Race 7: The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained Big Dog (Scott Phelan).

Race 8: The Wayne Thomas trained Titian Sun (Nicky Chilcott).

Race 9: The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained Raven Aveross (Scott Phelan).

Race 10: The Tony Herlihy trained and driven Tex Bromac.

Race 11: The Steven Reid and Graeme Rogerson trained Hoof It (Steven Reid).