Edmonds sure to rise

The catchphrase for the old Edmonds Baking Powder was ‘sure to rise’ and the phrase applied to the harness racing stock of Craig and Aimee Edmonds at Rangiora yesterday.

Their three year old trotting filly Four Wise Women (Majestic Son) won the $22,000 Anne Thompson Trotting Graduation Final, stablemate A Fine Patrick (Father Patrick) finished third and their pacer Radha (Always B Miki) won on debut.

Driver John Dunn settled Radha third last before he sent him forward at the 900 to sit parked. Turning in, he hit the lead and went on to win by a length from Black Billie Gee. The winning time for the 2000 metre mobile was 2-28.0 (1-59.0 mile rate).

RADHA REPLAY

Edmonds bought Radha for $26,000 at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch.

“I just liked the look of him. He’s a great big horse and he’s going to get better in another six months. He’s got a motor and John said he jogged it yesterday, after goofing around in the straight. He’ll have two or three more runs to get more experience and then we’ll turn him out. I love working this horse because when you hit the line he wants to keep going.”

He’s a half brother to Rishi (Bettor’s Delight) which won three of his five starts for Craig and Aimee before he was sold to Australia where he won another twelve races.

“Tim (Williams) got him off Mark (Purdon) and Natalie (Rasmussen). He was a great big horse so we played around with him, got him going and sold him to Lance Justice.”

Radha is owned by Glen Giannotti, Diane Edmonds, Suzanne Williams, Brian and Jan Scully, Laurence Chan and the Untouchaballz syndicate from Hawkes Bay who are first time owners.

Diane, Brian and Jan raced Mister Smartee, another son of Always B Miki. From two starts he won one race in a New Zealand record time, before being sold to Australia where he’s won eight of his nine starts For Gary Hall senior.

In her race yesterday, Five Wise Women began swiftly for driver Blair Orange but was left parked for the majority of the race with favourite Edward Longshanks leading. Five Wise Women remained parked until stablemate A Fine Patrick trotted around to give her cover. In the straight it was Five Wise Women that finished best, beating Edward Longshanks by a neck with A Fine Patrick a neck back in third.

FIVE WISE WOMEN REPLAY

“It was the first time Blair had driven her, and he said it wouldn’t have worried her if she’d sat parked the whole way. She hasn’t done much because she only qualified this time in, and she’s kept on improving. She used to be really lazy but after her last trial she got more switched on. She’s still pretty laid back but she’s twigging onto racing now,” Craig said.

Five Wise Women is heading to the spelling paddock now and will target age group racing later in the season.

“She’s got to qualify from behind the mobile but that wouldn’t worry her. We’ll target races like the Oaks (New Zealand Trotting Oaks) and the Southland Trotting Oaks.”

The run from A Fine Patrick was also full of merit.

“Being off the unruly he was giving them a bit of a start and he had to go round them. He was only a neck and a neck away from the winner. John (Dunn) was happy with him. I think if he’d had another race it might have helped him more. He did blow a bit after the race so he’ll take a lot out of the run.”

Craig said the stable will continue racing the three year old gelding. The New Zealand Trotting Derby could be on the horse’s radar later in the season.

“He’s got the speed and the motor but we just need to do a bit of racing with him now to make him harder.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink