Bet N Win white-hot

The ride for the Rolleston harness racing partnership of David and Stacey White continued at Addington tonight with rising trotting star Bet N Win (What The Hill) winning the $40,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Uncut Gems Trotters Classic.

The couple are in just their seventh year of training and have a horse every young trainer dreams of having early in their career.

“You battle away with a few average ones. We’re lucky enough to get one that could do a really good job for us,” David said.

Bred by Breckon Farms, David bought the horse at the 2021 NZB Standardbred Sales in Auckland for $35,500.

“We’re lucky enough that they’ve kept a share in him. It’s really good to have their support behind us.”

White said getting Bet N Win to this stage has been a challenge.

“We liked him early on. When we broke him in he just trotted around and loved his work. He went through a stage when he wasn’t the best gaited for eighteen months to two years. We worked on a couple of wee things, got him to the races and he made a few mistakes early on. He won a maiden nicely but he didn’t come back the way we were hoping. He was just immature and working him around the track wasn’t doing him any favours. So we sent him out to Bob (Butt) at the beach which helped him mature.”

White said the horse’s confidence grew and they’re seeing the rewards of that now.

“His hocks were niggling him too so getting him out on the beach took the pressure off them.”

The horses shoe size is larger than normal.

“We’ve gone up one shoe size to what he’d naturally be which seems to have really helped him.”

Driver Bob Butt stepped the four year old away brilliantly. Cutting out sectionals that left nothing to chance, he won by three and three quarter lengths from Galway Girl which trailed Bet N Win the entire trip.

“Bob said the only way we’re getting him out of the seat is if we sack him (laughter) which is a fairly good rap. He said the horse did it so easy and he couldn’t believe the time.”

The winning time was 3-15.3 which is exceptional for this grade of horse, with the last 800 metres run in a super quick 56.6.

‘We’ve got the fixed deafeners on him. Once we get down the line a bit and face the really good ones we might have to go with the removables. For now it’s just about keeping him happy.”

The plan is to take the horse to Queensland in July.

“The programmes aren’t out in Canterbury (beyond) about three weeks which makes it a bit difficult when you’ve got a horse that’s getting up in the grades. It’s hard to work out what we’re going to do with him between now and then.”

The main target will be the $150,000 Great Square for three and four year old trotters at Albion Park on July 13^th. If all goes well Bet N Win will then race in the $100,000 Queensland Trotters Cup.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink