Flying Without Wings ready for Grand Prix

Flying Without Wings (Pegasus Spur) has cemented his place in the top fifteen for harness racing’s Group One $100,000 Ace of Clubs to be run at Addington in seven days times.

In today’s (Nov. 27) mobile trot at Addington, Dasher (Bacardi Lindy) opened a huge gap in the field early. Flying Without Wings and trainer driver Nathan Williamson lead the chasing group. At the beginning of the straight Dasher was beginning to stop and Williamson had to bring Flying Without Wings down the middle of the track. Timing his run to perfection he got up to beat Monarch Prince (Creatine) by a nose.

FLYING WITHOUT WINGS REPLAY

“It’s nice to get him there and he showed a nice wee turn of foot in that last 100 metres. I did push him a bit to get his head in front and he broke just after the line. It was wet, and I was throwing the reins at him,” Williamson said when explaining the reason for the break.

The $5,500 win by Flying Without Wings today guarantees the two year old a start in Sunday’s juvenile trotting feature. 

In two of his previous three starts he’s broken from the stand, so it appears today’s mobile dispatch suited the young trotter.

Named after the Westlife song, Flying Without Wings was purchased by Neville Cleaver from breeder Michelle Caig as a weanling. 

“Nathan and Neville come to my place year after year and look at my horses. I decided to sell him before the sales. I was happy with the price, he was a colt, so he was always going to be sold. I was delighted that he fell into Nathan’s hands, and they’ve really looked after him. That was a very big reason that I let him go to Neville.” 

Flying Without Wings is out of the Sundon mare Sun Mist who’s now left the winners of seventy six races, with Sonofearl her best with twenty two wins. Other winners from the family include, Pretty Sunday (15), Stuey D (12) and Rosemma (10). Sun Mist is out of champion trotting mare Merinai which won a Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup.

Sun Mist has also provided Caig with a good source of income. The mare’s 2017 foal Leaf Stride sold for $90,000 at the 2019 NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch. 

Caig has a What The Hill colt out of Sun Mist entered in February’s NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

“He’s pretty outstanding. He’s been out the back and he’ll come in when I get my mares served. He never got a winter coat because I’ve had him covered and boxed on the cold nights. He’s a fine coated horse that hasn’t got fluffy and a winter coat. He’s a strong and compact horse.”

Caig said the mare’s last foal, a Majestic Son filly will be her last.

“I’ll probably hold onto her and breed from her because Sun Mist is looking old now. She’s done so well, she deserves to be retired.”

Caig is also currently breeding from one of Sun Mist’s daughters Shes Like The Wind (Majestic Son).

“Kirk Larsen is just breaking in her Pegasus Spur filly, and she’s just had an Elite Stride (Muscle Hill) filly which is a wee cracker. I find out tomorrow whether she’s in foal to Bold Eagle. To me this game is all about loyalty. Emilio Rosati bought one of my foals (Leaf Stride) at the Sales and that’s the reason I’ve sent one of my mares to his stallion Elite Stride.”

Meanwhile Williamson was more than happy with the run of Hidden Talent (Bacardi Lindy) in the New Zealand Trotting Oaks on Friday night. The filly ran a game second to Con Grazia Love (Love You) and he still hopes to run her in Sunday’s New Zealand Trotting Derby.

“She was beaten by a better horse on the night, but I think she’s better coming from behind. If she drew a nice barrier in the Derby, did no work and I drove a race from the 400 that might be just what she needs (to win).”

This week will be a pivotal week for Williamson as he also looks to turn around the Derby chances of Sand Wave (Somebeachsomewhere) who was disappointing on Friday night at Addington.

The Southland trainer who has been based in Canterbury for the past month, admits his team have been underperforming on the Christchurch circuit but thinks he’s isolated what he believes to be the problem and hopes to turn things around in seven days.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink