Class on grass

Ashburton trained harness racing gelding Got You Covered’s (Art Major) win in yesterday’s $25,000 Riverton Rural Transport Riverton Cup proves he grows another leg when he races on grass.

Driver Brent Barclay took the six year old to the top with just over a lap to run and stayed there, winning by two and a half lengths from the trailing horse Step It Up A Notch.

Got You Covered leading the Riverton Cup field with a lap to run (Bruce Stewart Photo)

It was the gelding’s seventh win on grass, his others being at Waimate, Waikouaiti, Banks Peninsula (2), Methven and Waterlea.

At the finish (Bruce Stewart Photo)

“The grass tracks take the quick last halves out of the horses, and he loves this time of year. He went to Blackies (Alister Black) this time last year and struck a nice bit of form. He’s getting a bit old now and seems to like a change in environment to keep his mind active,” co-trainer Brent White said.

Got You Covered has been stabled in Southland under the care of Black for the last four weeks but will return home tomorrow.

“Blackie and his team down there have done a super job with him. We targeted those four races with him. He was unlucky not to win the Cromwell Cup and probably unlucky not to win last week (Northern Southland Cup).”

Got You Covered began his career with Robert Dunn winning five races, before notching up another five for Robert and Jenna Dunn.

Yesterday’s win caps off a successful four race southern programme for Got You Covered where he banked $26,075 for his owner Wendy Nordqvist. She had success with another son of Art Major – Commander Ben. Also trained by Brent and Tim White, he won at the Methven meeting yesterday fifteen minutes before Got You Covered won.

“We’ll just keep him (Got You Covered) ticking over and look for some grass track races for him up here. He’ll be back for the Country Cups final.”

Nordqvist also has two quality three year olds, Commander Joe (Art Major) and Sofia Rose (Sportswriter) at the White stable.

“I’ve got a lot of time for Commander Joe. He’s been gelded and is back in work today. In time he’ll be a real nice horse.”

Earlier in the programme Oamaru trainer Brad Williamson chalked up his one hundredth training win when Night Watch (Imperial Count) won her fourth race in the hands of Kerryn Tomlinson.

Night Watch winning at Riverton (Bruce Stewart Photo)

Winning connections (Bruce Stewart Photo)

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink