Tumby Park have yet to decide on THE ASCENT runner

Scott Whitton’s love of harness racing’s biggest race meetings made snapping up a slot in the inaugural $500,000 THE ASCENT an easy decision.

Whitton (pictured above, in the middle), who breeds and races a big team of horses under his Tumby Park banner, is also an unashamed fan of slot racing.

“I think I’ve applied for a slot in every slot race so far in Australia and NZ, some I’ve got, others I’ve missed out,” he said.

“They’re a good concept and I like being involved in the biggest races at the best carnivals. Slot races are a great way of doing that for someone like me.

“When it comes to carnivals and big race days, there’s nothing better in this part of the world than NZ Cup Week.

“So, I jumped at the chance to take a slot in one of these new races. I’d love to expand on it and be even more involved near year and beyond.”

Whitton admits he was drawn to THE ASCENT this year because he thought he had a trotter good enough to give it a shake.

That’s Majestic Son gelding My Ultimate Sunny, who has raced just seven times for five wins and a second. The only unplaced run was a fifth in the Group 1 Great Square at Albion Park and the wins included the Group 3 Queensland Trotters’ Derby and Group 2 Qbred 3YO Trotting final.

But Whitton’s Addington plans for My Ultimate Sunny have been shelved.

“Just this week we pulled the pin on him,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong, but he had three weeks out after the big Queensland races and he went backwards. He didn’t spell well at all.

“So, we’ve scrapped the plans to take him and now I’m back in the market for a runner in my slot.

“I’m in no rush. It’s still a month to the race and the good horses are back racing now.

“We might not get one of the headline acts, but should get a fit and in-form horse.”

Whitton has cut back his numbers, but still has “about 75” horses at Tumby Park, near Tweed Heads just on the NSW side of the border with Queensland.

“There’s 15 broodmares, they’ll have 15 foals, then there are 20 yearlings and another 25 or so racehorses,” he said.

Whitton’s love for horses goes way back.

“It’s a family thing. Dad (Ron) and I used to have 10 or 12 horses in work in the Tamworth/Armidale area (NSW) and won a few premierships in that region,” he said.

“One year we finished second to Paul Fitzpatrick in the NSW trainers’ premiership.

“We also set what was an Australian record at the time with six winners at one meeting at Tamworth.”

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by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing New Zealand