Gray gets ‘Ringo’ back and going to the winners circle at Mot

Canterbury harness racing returned to the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club at Motukarara on Sunday afternoon (19 March.) for its penultimate race meeting before the seasonal changes get the better of the grass surface.

When the Canterbury weather plays its part like it did yesterday, few meetings can turn on the atmosphere that epitomises what racing is all about at ‘The Mot’. Full fields, sunshine, crowds, great racing, and upsets a plenty!

One of which came in the fourth on the card where after two of the first three races were won by favourites, the Joseph Gray trained, Let’s Go Ringo (Sportswriter) was victorious at the juicy odds of $21.40.

It was the five-year-old geldings second run since joining the Gray stable, having previously raced out of the Colin & Julie DeFillipi stable for his previous 23 career appearances.

“We are probably a wee bit lucky to get this horse from Colin & Julie (DeFillipi), they felt that he needed a bit of a change of scenery to get the best out of him,” said Gray.

“He always looked like he had the ability, and I was a wee bit disappointed with his run at Reefton, so we changed some of the gear around, and he’s won easy, so that’s good,” he said.

In his first start for Gray seven days earlier, Let’s Go Ringo was a lackluster 10th in a field of twelve runners, which was actually an improvement on his three 11th place finishes in the starts prior.

The son of Sportswriter has only been in the money twice since breaking maidens in July last year.

“I wasn’t actually expecting him to win today and I’m just over the moon,” said Gray.

The win of Let’s Go Ringo was the second of his career and the manner in which he unfurled from the back of the pack to score by a comfortable two- and three-quarter length margin suggested it mightn’t be his last.

“He didn’t give me too many instructions, I knew the horse had a good turn of foot,” said his driver Robbie Close.

“We just had to hope for some good pace in the race and when that happened, it worked out good,” he said.

LET’S GO RINGO REPLAY

Gray has been training a small team of horses seven seasons now, having previously worked in the industry as a junior driver where he picked up 23 of his 24 career driving wins.

The West Melton horseman has shown a knack for taking tried horses and giving them a new lease on life, with all seven of his career best training wins in 2022 coming from horses who had raced in the colours of other trainers prior.

It was very nearly a race day double for Gray later in the meeting when another former DeFillipi trained runner in Press Play (Shadow Play), got within a half head of the winner for second in the eighth on the programme.

Gray’s father was an emotional man speaking with Nigel Armstrong of Harness Racing Unhinged yesterday, reflecting on what was a wonderful day for his son.

“I’m very proud of him,” he said.

“I’m proud of all trainers who get into this game because it’s not easy. There are a lot of guys who come to the races who don’t even win one which is sad.

“At the start of the race we had our fingers crossed because Joseph said he had been working well at home, but it’s a different story at the races. He was with Colin for a while as you know and now, he has moved into a new barn, and I think that’s what he needed. He’s a beautiful looking horse as you can see, he’s black and in great condition,” he said.

For complete Banks Peninsula results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink