Blanchards and Chin win two each

Two training doubles by Peter and Vaughan Blanchard and Luk Chin highlighted Friday night’s harness racing action at Cambridge Raceway.

The Blanchard father-son combo kicked off their night with Majestic Bundy (Majestic Son), driven by Zachary Butcher, who was successful in Race one, the Watchu Security Mobile Trot.

The four-year-old Majestic Son mare started off the unruly with Butcher settling at the tail of the field. With just eight runners it was a compact field and Butcher timed his run from the 400 metre mark perfectly to score the win by a neck.

“She’s been knocking on the door and she really put her best foot forward tonight to get the win and was handled very well by Zachary,” said Peter Blanchard.

“When we started her at Auckland three starts ago off a mobile she ducked her head just before the mobile left and broke, so we made sure to put her on the unruly tonight and she seemed to be much happier with a helmet to follow.”

The Blanchard’s second winner of the night was Sunshine Shelby who took out Race six, the Betavet Buildagut Mobile Pace over 2200 metres.

Driven by Peter Ferguson, the gelding initially settled at the rear of the field from his starting draw of seven. In an assertive Ferguson drive, Sunshine Shelby was sent forward to the parked position with a lap to run, and from there ran down the leading Change Tact to take the victory by 1.75 lengths.

“He’s another who has been racing well and knocking on the door,” said Blanchard “Peter (Ferguson) actually said to me before the race that he might change it up a bit and drive him a bit more aggressively tonight and it certainly paid off.”

“They are both up in the points for the Winter Rewards Series at Auckland later in the month, so I think that will be our next mission to aim towards with the two of them.”

Dr Luk Chin also scored a winning double last night with Mazeppa, driven by Chin, taking out Race four, the New Zealand Farmers Livestock Handicap Trot. His second winner of the night was Voronov, driven by junior driver Emily Johnson, taking out Race eight, the Barrett Homes – Oakura Handicap Trot.

“He’s a really nice horse and jogged it last night,” says Johnson, “I’m not sure where to next for him but I’m three drives for three wins on him now which is pretty great.”

There was some great racing action at Cambridge to kick off the first of TAB Trackside’s Friday Night Light’s including a couple of winners to keep an eye on in the future including the Todd Mitchell-trained Kings Watch who took his maiden victory in a scorching time of 2.39-6.

For complete Cambridge race results, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand