Kings Watch goes back-to-back for Mitchell

Kings Watch (He’s Watching) has again showed he’s a pacer with a very promising future with a second consecutive harness racing win at Cambridge last night.

Trained and driven by Todd Mitchell, the five-year-old took out race 6, the Woodlands Stud Supporting Our Future Mobile Pace, by nearly two lengths, a fortnight after winning at the same venue by more than four lengths.

“It was a good effort last night and really great for his owner Derek Blackwell as he’s had a few horses over the years and now looks to have nice one,” says Mitchell.

The lightly-raced gelding started the 2200 metre race from barrier 11 and Mitchell slotted into the one-one position. At the 700 metre mark Mitchell set off three wide, also sustaining a punctured tyre, and hit the front with race favourite Slots sitting outside him. Upon straightening Kings Watch proved too good letting down to win the race comfortably by 1.75 lengths. Lincoln La Moose and Midfrew Lucre filled the placings.

“He’s taken some time but certainly seems to have inherited the family motor,” said Mitchell, “we initially had some issues with him tying up badly and also some feet issues, but Kim Hughes has been shoeing him over the last six months and we seem to have finally got everything right with him.”

“It was a big effort to win pulling a flat tyre over most of the last half and I think we’ll probably have to look at heading to Auckland with him next.”

KINGS WATCH REPLAY

The gelding is out of Monaro, who was also trained by Mitchell, and has now won two races from just four starts.

Junior driver Stephanie Burley also scored a memorable win with the John Dickie trained Bolt For The Hill who took out Race 1, the Off The Track Food & Bev Handicap Trot.

“He was really professional last night, and it was a pretty special win for me being the first horse I’ve bred and owned along with Mum,” said Burley, “I was also relieved as everyone’s hard work with him has paid off as he has taken some work to get to this stage!”

The three-year-old gelding stepped away from four on the front line and Burley let him stride to the front and dictated terms thereafter, running home to win comfortably by 1.25 lengths over the second placed Rise To The Occasion.

“We’ve had a long association with the family of this horse over the years but unfortunately he’s the only one out of Little Miss Zigzag as she passed away,” said Burley, “but I think we’re going to have some fun racing this boy.”

It was the What The Hill gelding’s maiden victory at his sixth start.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand