Comeback horse U May Cullect wins again

The Riverton Trotting Club carded two Free for Alls, a Nuggets Final and a heat of the Southern Belle Speed Series today at Central Southland Raceway in Winton, and they were rewarded with some top harness racing.

The pacing FFA was won by comeback horse U May Cullect. He lead early and ran his last 400 metres in a slick 25.8 to beat favourite Pembrook Playboy.

“I was thrilled. Nathan’s horse (Pembrook Playboy) has been racing against the good ones so I thought we’d have to use our speed,” said co-trainer and driver Kirstin Barclay.

From gate four Barclay went forward to take the lead inside the first quarter of the race and dictated the tempo.

“I was really lucky to get a breather in the middle and run that quick last quarter. Nathan’s horse is so fast but you can’t catch them when they’re running those sorts of quarters.”

U May Cullect looked very well and primed for today’s 1609 event and Barclay says the stable is not planning too far ahead, preferring the horse to tell them where to race next.

“There are a couple (of) wee things that bother me at times but I think it’s just muscular. We just get the vet to go over him after every race and keep on top of things. But he seems pretty well within himself.”

U May Cullect’s win today was his third over a mile on this track. He’s now won nine races in fourteen starts.

Pearl Harbour capped off some good form to win the last heat of the Southern Belle Speed Series when she came from well back to beat Might Be Me by a head.

“That’s just her racing pattern. You have to save her for one run, you can’t do any work early. They ran hard early today and it panned out well,” said driver Brent Barclay.

Trained by Katrina and John Price the Somebeachsomewhere mare has now won six of her twenty two starts.

“I haven’t driven many as fast as her over three hundred metres. She’s just electric.”

Idealism confirmed his potential among a good crop of Southland three year olds when he won the Nuggets Final today in the hands of Nathan Williamson.

Realising his main rival, stablemate Keep On Dreaming was behind him, Williamson set the gelding alight inside the 600 metres and that was the winning of the race.

“Yep super drive,” said trainer Alister Black.

On straightening Idealism mastered pacemaker Lynryd Skynryd, winning by three quarters of a length with Keep On Dreaming running home for fifth more than five lengths back.

“I think if you reversed the draws you’d probably reverse the result to be fair.”

Black said Idealism will be aimed at the end of season Southern Supremacy Stakes.

“I think he’s going to be a better four year old. I didn’t pay up for the Derby for that simple reason.”

Dark Horse showed quality when she won her fourteenth race winning  over a mile today.

Running in the inside running line the eight year old mare was taken one out with 400 metres to run by driver Craig Ferguson.
“She was cruising,”

She challenged pacemaker Rydgemont Son though it took her most of the straight to get past him.

“The second horse certainly made it tough for us. We really had to knuckle down up the straight.” The winning margin was just a neck.

“In the end she did it easy and didn’t want to pull up after the line. She was just foxing a wee bit.”

The Gordon and Colin Lee trained Bertie Jones had a nice win on debut today. The four year old was an impressive qualifier on this course in January and won today’s race by two lengths in the hands of Brent Barclay.

Trotter Gold Chain trained by Bob Butt was the biggest winner of the day, clearing out to take the line by eleven lengths.

The Muscle Hill mare has now won four of her seventeen starts.

by Bruce Stewart