Trotting ranks shaken up

He might not ever reach the heights of some of his more high-profile stablemates, but Havehorsewilltravel has certainly shaken up the trotting ranks since arriving here in Victoria late last year.

On Thursday, the former Kiwi squaregaiter scored his second Maori’s Idol Trotting Championship success, with his tough victory in the De Bortoli Yarra Valley Trotters Cup following a win in the Cobram feature during January.

After starting as one of three 20m backmarkers, driver Kate Gath’s mid-race decision to roll forward from back in the field and take up the spot outside early leader Brandlo Prince (Chris Svanosio) proved decisive.

The son of Angus Hall loomed up at the top of the straight, took the lead approaching the final 100m and then held off Robbie Royale (Brent Lilley/Chris Alford) on his outside to score by just over a metre on the line.

“I wasn’t surprised with his win last week and he’d been going well without much luck. But he went super today, didn’t he?” Gath said.

“I had to make a move when they backed right off and Puppet (Alford) wanted a bit of cover. I thought if we stay back here, we are going to be a mile off them and then the last quarter is going to be tough.

“So, we chanced our arm and hoped for the best – that it turned out for the best – and it did.”

Havehorsewilltravel, who is trained by Gath’s husband Andy, has now won 12 of 33 starts, with eight of those on Australian soil.

WATCH HAVEHORSEWILLTRAVEL’S WIN AND HEAR KATE GATH’S INTERVIEW BELOW:

By Tim O’Connor for HRV