Waikiki Beach makes it 16 in a row

Harness racing horses just don’t win 16 races in a row. Yet Our Waikiki Beach is definitely something special and he reached that mark in style with another remarkable win in today’s $$200,000 Coca-Cola Amatil New South Wales Derby at Tabcorp Park Menangle.

The three-year-old gelding gave the Mark Purdon stable their third Group One for the day . . . with the Miracle Mile still to come.

Driver Natalie Rasmussen explained Our Waikiki Beach only ever did what he had to do to win.

And that was the case again today as the son of Somebeachsomewhere held off Cant Refuse (James Rattray) to score by 2.1m with Zee Dana (Nathan Jack) third in a 1:55.5 mile rate.

It was a relieved Rasmussen who received the Derby trophy, explaining Our Waikiki Beach had been getting a little bit too fired up at his most recent start which had been a slight concern.

“We’ve tried to keep him calm before his race since then,” she said.

“But he’s a good boy. He just what he has to do.”

And no-one does it better in the three-year-old ranks than Our Waikiki Beach who may yet rival some of the great horses with his unbeaten run.

Part-owner Trevor Casey said he never expected to have a ‘second’ horse to win that many in a sequence.

“I had something to do with Courage Under Fire, who won 25, but this bloke is now starting to stack up the wins as well,” said Casey.

Rasmussen said she always felt Zee Dana (third) would be her biggest danger because he was so impressive in his record heat win.

“Amanda Turnbull [trainer] has him flying at the moment,” she said.

“But we were confident with our guy.

“Mark and I don’t really go out to try and set records like that – we’re just happy if our horses are fit and healthy and going well.

“Of course you have to aim for the big Derbys.

“And I’d have to be happy with a day like this. They don’t come along every day.”