Itoje busts mobile and still wins

Harness racing five year old Itoje (Betterthancheddar) may have put the mobile out of action but he was good enough to win on debut at Wyndham today.

“He ducked his head and carried on through. He was lucky to come out of it as good as he did,” trainer driver Brendon McLellan said.

The mobile arm was noticeably bent and unable to be used for the remainder of the meeting. The Club’s mobile which they usually use for workouts and trials filled the gap.

After a delay, Itoje who’s named after the English rugby union lock Maro Itoje was cleared by a vet and from gate five McLellan took him straight to the top. He won easily by two lengths from Artmore (Art Major).

Brendon shares in the ownership of the gelding with his wife Megan.

“He’s just a big horse that’s taken a while to fill into his frame so we haven’t rushed him. The Betterthancheddar’s seem to get better with time.”

Itoje is out of McLellan’s very good mare It’s Ella (Washington VC) which won sixteen races including the G2 Caduceus Club of Canterbury Premier Mares Championship twice and the G1 New Zealand Breeders Stakes.

“He’s got a bit of her high speed and is a good going horse.”

McLellan says he’s only put serious work into Itoje in the last twelve months, but the Wyndham drums have been beating and he was well backed today for his debut.

“He hasn’t done a lot of work but I’m a bit more excited about him than some of the other ones I’ve had. They’re all on the market at a price. I’m quite happy to race him and see what happens.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink