One Over Da Moon mare delivers special win

One Mhor For Heather (One Over Da Moon) is doing exactly what was named to do.

And that is win races so her owners could remember and celebrate in the name of the late harness racing owner Heather Williams.

Heather, with her husband Lex, raced some wonderful horses before Heather sadly passed in November 2020.

One of thosd good horses they owned together was One Over Da Moon, the Jewels winner of his juvenile year, who has since stood at stud and sired some smart trotters.

Enter the fray Heather’s friends Linda and Neil Carter, who lived just up the road from Lex and Heather in Timaru.

The Williams owned Leithe Ellen and bred from her with some success before she started to struggle to get into foal.

The Carters took the mare over and Heather talked them into sending her to One Over Da Moon.

The result is One Mhor For Heather, who took out the $34,000 Silk Road Winter Series Final at Addington on Friday night.

Trained and driven by Robbie Holmes the four-year-old mare overcame a 10m handicap with a great beginning and eventually ended up trailing leader Priness Sadie before getting up inside her on the passing lane.

ONE MHOR FOR HEATHER REPLAY

It was her fourth career win at start 21 and every one of them does what Linda Carter intended when she named the horse.

“This filly was only born a month before Heather died,” says Carter.

“We got the mare off her and it was Heather who talked us into going to One Over Da Moon so I told her I would name it after her.

“The Mhor part comes from the Scottish/Gaelic word meaning ‘great’ and the rest of the name is pretty self explanatory.

“So obviously every time she races we remember Heather, who was such a lovely person.

“We have a great bunch of owners in her, including Les, and we are loving having her.

“To have her going so well and winning a race like this is a bonus.”

While One Mhor For Heather was the emotional story of the night the numbers game was won by Team Telfer, as many punters expected it would be.

They trained four winners at Addington, all driven by Tim Williams, including Slots who was professional in the main pace.

Add that to the three winners they had at Alexandra Park and one on Thursday night at Cambridge and they are now 24 wins clear in the national trainer’s premiership with no end in sight to their winter of wonder.

For complete race results, click here.

by Michael Guerin, for Harness Racing New Zealand