Morton gets deserved win

Russell Morton has been working at the Gray harness racing stable for around fourteen years, and has occasionally bred a horse that’s then raced from the stable.

Pick Six Telf is one of those horses, and after a string of placings he ticked off a win at Winton today (Sunday).

The four year old gelding by Bettor’s Delight is out of Super Telf  – a Caprock mare which goes back to Courteous Poplar. Morton and some friends bought him in the ’80s.

Hi said “I started off with Super Telf which is named after Wendy Telfer.  I thought ‘what can the best thing a punter can get? It’s Pick Six. So that’s how I got the name.’

Morton, who’s part of the Southern Bred Southern Reared group, normally takes at least one horse to the annual yearling sales in Christchurch.

“He (Pick Six Telf) actually went through the sales and I was a bit disappointed with what I was offered, so he came home.”

From that point on he’s been a part of the Gray stable.

“He had issues when he was being broken in and (he) threw the toys out of the cot a couple of times but learnt very quickly. That impressed me.”

Morton has a yearling half-sister by Always B Miki out of Super Telf which he’s retaining.

“She looks a bit leggy. Catching her at the moment is a problem.”

After the well deserved win today it’s back to work tomorrow at the Gray Ryal Bush stable.

“I don’t do any driving now. Brett retired me.”

Russell Morton (second from left) with horse, trainer, driver and stable crew – Photo Bruce Stewart

Meanwhile Ashburton visitor Hot Starff justified his favouritism when he won the Phillips Horse Transport Mobile Pace.

Driver Jonny Cox stayed out of the early rush, settling fifth before angling into the one one with 2000 metres to run. With 400 metres to run Cox pushed off and progressed forward. At the 200 metre peg it was down to three horses and Hot Starff got up to beat Lite Percussion by a neck with a nose back to Tact Eze.

Hot Starff is trained by Brent White.

In another close finish Dallas Grimes won her third race in the hands of Brent Barclay. The Murray Brown trained five year old has a host of owners (even too large to fit into the race book).

She beat Jimmy Richter by a neck with Myrcella a nose back in third.

The biggest cheer of the day though came from the owners of Cab Calloway when he won the Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace.

Bred by Macca Lodge who raced him up until the beginning of last month, the four year old is now raced by good stable clients of Kirstin Barclay and Tank Ellis as well as a host of new owners from the Drummond Limehills Star Rugby Club.

The team with reserves                               – Photo Bruce Stewart

Cab Calloway beat its more fancied stablemate Freddiesam by a nose and was at odds of 28 to 1.

Pearl Harbour returned to winning form on her home track at Winton today.

The three year old Somebeachsomewhere filly qualified as a two year old in the south for owners/trainers John and Katrina Price, and was then sent north to Barry Purdon’s barn.

She won on debut in Auckland but remained winless in five further starts – three of which were in group races.

She returned home after the Harness Jewels and was having only her second start for the Price stable today.

Regular driver Williamson settled the filly near the rear of the field and then in a lightning move 900 metres from home, took her to the lead.

She stayed there holding on to beat favourite Slate who’d followed her round.