Records and close finishes at Gore

Buffy Northstain (Majestic Son) kept Sam Thornley’s Junior Drivers Premiership hopes alive when she won the Ward and Sinclair Limited Trot at Gore today.

Trained by Bruce Negus, the six year old mare got back in the running and stormed home late to beat Tinkerbelle.

The win was Buffy Northstain’s twelfth and puts Thornley on 63 wins, two behind leader Carter Dalgety.

Stallion Lather Up provided the quinella in the fourth race with Atalanta trained by Brent McIntyre beating Party Up Denario by two and a half lengths.

Both are two year old fillies and Atalanta’s winning time of 2-04.9 was a new track record lowering Cala’s 2013 time of 2-05.5.

Trained by Gay McClymont, Styrax (Creatine) overcame her thirty metre handicap and a mid-race gallop to win the Les Norman Memorial Gold Chip Final.

Gay, her daughter Kirsty Adams and Kirsty’s daughter Emma are all on the committee of the Gore HRC – surely some sort of unique record.

The Matt Brinsdon trained Shezza Vinny (Vincent) aided by a perfectly judged run to the line, broke the mares and all-comers record in winning the Arden Lodge Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace.

Her time of 2-03.0 bettered Retail Therapy’s open record of 2-04.5 and The Shakey Mistress’s mares time of 2-03.9.

The Gore HRC recognised Sam Ottley’s record breaking season when committee member Kirsty Adams presented Ottley with a bouquet after she won with Zoom X (Bettor’s Delight) in the Roy Henley Memorial Pace.

Ottley drove five winners and chalked up her 100th win at Westport yesterday, becoming the first female driver to do so in New Zealand.

Zoom X got there by a nose from a brave Dallas Dale which led for most of the 2200 metres.

Zoom X’s time of 2-42.1 lowered the track record for two year old colts and geldings. The previous record of 2-45.9 was held by Coastal.

Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson scored a trotting double when Majestic Love (Majestic Son) won at long odds in the hands of Rory Mcllwrick and later on, Torquay Street (Father Patrick) driven by Brad Williamson won by a nose.

Torquay Street’s winning time of 2-52.1 for the 2200 metre stand was a new track record for three year old trotting fillies.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink