Maui reels in main trot

Today’s Ruggedy Charters Handicap Trot was a huge drop in class for Tinwald trotter Maui and his talent shone through, beating Vertigo and making it a father, son and sire (Peak) quinella.

Maui began well from the ten metre unruly mark and after sitting in the one one for most of the 2700 metre trip, trainer driver David McCormick moved the six year old up to sit parked for the last lap.

“I went because I knew Sarah would be coming around with Missalyssa at some stage and I wanted to be in front of her before we turned for home. I’ve tried to run past her before and she can be a hard horse to get past. I was happy sitting parked for the last lap,” David said.

At the end of the 2700 metres Maui had half a length to spare on Vertigo which was driven by David’s son Lawrence.

“I wouldn’t have wanted it to be another 100 yards (laughter). No, she goes good too and is a nice horse.”

Coming into today’s race Maui’s form line around some top line horses was excellent and he was made second favourite.

“He got second in the Green Mile coming from last against Oscar Bonavena and the other day at Omakau when he ran fifth I got checked out of a gap halfway up the straight. If I’d had a straight run at them, I would have been in the money so today’s race was a giant drop in class.”

Maui is set to have his third start on the Central Otago circuit when he lines up again at Cromwell on Saturday.

“Yep, we’ll line up again. He seems to be taking it all in his stride so why not. That’s what we’re down here for.”

Today’s win was Maui’s tenth in seventy four starts.

“He’ll go out for a break when we get home but I think in another six months he’ll be better.”

Maui is out of the Sundon mare Shezaborabil – a bloodline the McCormick family have had for a long time.

“Dad (Doug) bought a mare called Silver Wood off the Grice brothers. We’ve had the breed since 1955. It’s the old Mavis Wood breed.”

And he says Maui is the best horse he’s had from the family.

“He was a good horse from day one. When I first started working him I text my wife at work one day and said I have to come out of the closet. I’ve fallen in love with someone called Maui (laughter).”

Some trainers are not keen on the progeny of Peak and he fell out of fashion. But not for the McCormicks.

“We’ve got two, and between them they’ve won sixteen races and they quinellaed the race today. We like them but maybe we were lucky and got a couple of the nice ones.”

Naming the squaregaiter was a real family affair.

“My grandchildren used to watch him out in the paddock when he was a yearling. At the time they were watching the movie Moana. In that movie the bad guy was Maui and they said ‘Grandad that horse is called Maui and I said, is it just’. I put the name in (to HRNZ) thinking I’d never get it, but we did.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink