Dawe enjoys winning double

Amid the highs and lows of harness racing, Canterbury owner Ronnie Dawe has plenty to look forward to after enjoying a winning double at Rangiora on Saturday.

The first of those victories couldn’t have been more impressive with Rakero Rebel streeting her rivals by an impressive eight length margin when scoring for trainer Phil Burrows and driver Gavin Smith.

Burrows and Smith delivered again when Muscle Bank produced a big trotting effort to complete a winning double for Dawe who races the mare with a group of owners.

Just hours before the completion of his winning double, Dawe’s smart three-year-old Millwood Indie had to be scratched from the Group One Sires Stakes Fillies Final after suffering a minor injury.

The filly is expected to make a quick recovery and return to racing soon.

Though his Group One opportunity was lost, Dawe’s fortunes to a sharp upward turn when Rakero Rebel smashed her rivals in race 5 on Saturday.

The filly will now head to the paddock and it is possible both she and Millwood Indie could make appearances in fillies feature races later in the season.

“We are going to turn her out, she is still a wee bit immature and she is still a wee bit hypo,” Dawe said.

“So, she’s going for a spell for a good three months and then we’ll bring her back hopefully for the bigger races.”

Muscle Bank was detached from the leaders with a lap to go in race 9 but made up plenty of ground for an impressive win.

The victory is the result of the five-year-old turning the corner in her work recently.

“We thought she would go close, she has been working down the beach and she has been working good.”

“You never know, but we were hopeful for her.”

“She turned the corner in the last month or so, she is working way better.”

Millwood Indie had a run in with her feed bin and is expected to resume her North Island campaign soon.

The filly will be aimed at NZB Standardbred’s huge Harness Million meeting.

As will another of Dawe’s horses in Rakero Rebel.

The three-year-old ran on well first up from a spell behind Highgrove on Ashburton Cup Day.

The pacing bred squaregaiter will head to a maiden race soon and then on to the Harness Million final for 3yo trotters.

View the Rangiora results click here!

by Jonny Turner