Nairn bags an upset double at big odds

You will be waiting a long time before you see master trainer Paul Nairn train another 139-1 trotting double.

And even longer to see such a longshot harness racing pair bolt in quite as easily as Wilma’s Boy and Forgiveness did at Addington on Friday night.

Nairn started the ball rolling when former exciting juvenile Wilma’s Boy returned with a five length win in a sharp lower grade field in Race 2, even though the wonder trainer says he can’t take much credit for the victory.

“Bob [Butt] was training him up until three weeks ago so he deserves much of the credit,” says Nairn.

“He galloped for Bob at the trials so he sent him to me but I haven’t done anything special with him.

“I wasn’t sure he wouldn’t gallop again but I think he might be a good horse.”

Wilma’s Boy is out of the former high class mare Wilma’s Mate and looked an early season two-year-old star but Friday night was his first start in 18 months.

“He is a really big horse so you can see why he needed time and while he still has some things to work out he has real ability,” added Nairn.

Later in the night it was Butt driving again as Forgiveness won like a $2 chance but paid $20.

“She has been a bit tricky to get right and I actually wasn’t going to start her until next week,” says Nairn.

“But she was so well this week I thought I’d line her up and she won very well.

“She is a decent mare and there are good races for them these days so she could pick up some handy wins.”

FORGIVENESS REPLAY

The pair are two of just nine horses Nairn had in work on Friday but the team was to be boosted by four horses coming back into work on Saturday.

Friday night’s pacing feature was won by Hadron Collider, who raced straight to the lead for Samantha Ottley and never looked like being headed.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand