Wingatui Dew makes it eight straight

When talented pacer Wingatui Dew first arrived at the harness racing stables of Grant Hodges at Bridport on the North-East Coast of Tasmania the expectations weren't high, in fact the owners were just hoping a change of environment would ignite the potential the horse showed at an early age.

At the UBET Racing Centre in Launceston last night Wingatui Dew notched his eighth win for Hodges to keep intact his unbeaten record in Tasmania.

It is an outstanding feat for any horse to win three races in succession but to be unbeaten after eight outings is exceptional.

"It's funny how some horses take to a change of environment and it's pretty clear that Wingatui Dew is one of those horses," Hodges said.

"He has just thrived since he came to Tassie.

"From the first time we trialled him I thought he might win a few but every time we've raised the bar he's stepped up and delivered.

"He has always drawn well and in all of his eight wins he has either led or raced in the death.

"Nothing has fully tested this horse yet so we don't know whether we've found the bottom of him," he said.

Hodges has ruled out a start in the Easter Cup at the end of March so he is pawing over the racing calendar looking for a suitable M0 race in Melbourne.

"In the next few weeks there is pretty much nothing for him here in Tasmania so we will more than likely target at M0 at Melton and take it from there," Hodges said.

Wingatui Dew is owned by one of Hodges' good friends Steve Carter in partnership with John Starr from NSW.

The gelding has won $36,000 in prizemoney in Tasmania to take his career earnings to almost $50,000 but Hodges is confident the gelded son of Grinfromeartoear is capable of winning at least that much again.

Peter Staples