Cossey’s massive upset at Alexandra Park

Te Awamutu based trainer Donald Cossey scored a memorable win at Alexandra Park on Friday night when his pacing bred trotter Highview Rockn Roll (Rock N Roll Heaven) upset at huge odds.

The rank outsider in the 11-horse field took out Race five, the “Happy Birthday Stacey” Handicap Trot over 2700 metres, paying $63.60.

“I’ve owned a few horses that have raced at Alexandra Park but I think she’s the first I’ve trained to win there,” says Cossey, “it was a bit of a surprise for me because I thought the field could have been a bit too tough for her.”

The nine-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven mare started off the front line, stepping away well to settle in the trail behind Gaz Man who led throughout. Driver Tony Cameron made the most of the sweet trip in the trail awaiting the passing lane where the mare dug in to score a win by 0.75 lengths over Kimkar Dash and Shez Bella.

“Coming off the front, doing things right and getting the perfect trip really helped her, said Cossey, “she went through a bit of a bad spot for a while where she wasn’t doing things right, but she’s come good again now.”

“She’s a really neat little horse and tries really hard, Tony (Cameron) came off the track after the race and said she tries hard the whole way.”

HIGHVIEW ROCKN ROLL REPLAY

Cossey races the mare alongside his nephew Nick Coxon who is currently in Scotland competing in several golf tournaments. The pair had originally thought they had a pacer on their hands but when she wouldn’t pace at all one day in trackwork Cossey pulled up and took her hopples off to see if she might free leg.

“She was absolutely no hope pacing, so I bowled her round and she trotted a half in 1.10 in pacing shoes and thought we’d better give trotting her a go,” said Cossey, “Nick actually saw another Rock N Roll Heaven trotter winning well in Australia too so that inspired us a bit.”

“Nick was on the phone to me straight after the race and his first words were ‘Awesome!’”

It was Highview Rockn Roll’s eighth win and brought her earnings to just over $90,000.

“I guess I’ll head back to Auckland in a couple of weeks with her and then she might need a break,” says Cossey, “but I just loved that win.”

Other notable wins of the night were a training double for the Waiuku training partnership of Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett with Nelson’s Boy taking out Race one, driven by Crystal Hackett, and Aldebaran D B the winner of Race three, driven by Bernie Hackett.

Crystal Hackett also drove a winning double when scoring a strong win with Artisan in Race six, the Hydroflow Mobile Pace, for employers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand