Wingatui Dew makes it five in a row

Bridport harness racing trainer Grant Hodges is eyeing off a trip to Melbourne with his in-form gelding Wingatui Dew following the five-year-old gelding's fifth win in succession since arriving in Tasmania three months ago.

Wingatui Dew led throughout at his first four attempts for Hodges but at the UBET Racing Centre in Launceston on Sunday night the gelding had to do it tough by facing the breeze but it proved a mere blimp on the radar for the son of Grinfromeartoear.

Smart mare Licinia showed her customary early speed to lead from gate three and while driver Erin Hollaway aboard Wingatui Dew issued a short-lived challenge she ended up being content to allow her charge to face the breeze.

The pair matched motors to the well in to the home straight the last time but when Hollaway called on her charge for the supreme effort he was up to the task and forged clear to defeat Licinia by almost four metres with Onemorelaugh a further 2.4 metres astern.

"The owners paid good money for this horse as a tried horse in New Zealand but when he couldn't cut it at the main meetings so he ended up at the mid-weeks," Hodges said.

"They were also having difficulty keeping the weight on him so since he's been with me I've kept him fresh and tried to space his runs," he said.

Wingatui Dew has won his way through the grades in Tasmania and is now a C4 horse.

"The general idea is to get him to the best level we can here in Tassie and then slip across the water to Melbourne and try and win an M0,"Hodges said.

Peter Staples