Red Rackham rocks harness punters at Manawatu

Despite having a highly successful last few months, Red Rackham (Vincent) proved his doubters wrong in last night’s 2024 Connie Stewart Sotheby’s Int Realty Wairarapa Cup at Manawatu.

Trained by Arna Donnelly at Cambridge Raceway, the harness racing four-year-old has been in exceptional form, with six wins and two placings, and only one unplaced run in his nine starts since the start of August. With Andre Poutama driving he won by a length, paying $41 on the fixed odds.

His delighted owner Kym Kearns was on course to see the win.

“It was a great win and I was really impressed by Andre’s drive on him, but I really didn’t expect him to go out and win,” said Kearns, “Arna and her team have done such a great job, she’s a trainer who always does her best by the horse and it’s kudos to her really!”

“This is the first horse I’ve owned outright and had trained and it’s taken some time to get used to but he’s a beautiful horse and I’m just really enjoying watching him race and seeing the results of the work they do with him.”

RED RACKHAM REPLAY

Poutama drove Red Rackham quietly off the mobile to settle back in the field but a skirmish heading into the first corner, caused by a galloping Gotta Elect Bill, checked trailing runners and forced them wide. Poutama managed to clear the worst of the fray catching the field and landing the one out one back position down the back straight.

At the 400 metre mark, Poutama took advantage of the space left by the tiring Run Mason Run inside him and dropped to the fence with the short cuts paying off and Red Rackham getting a run up the passing lane to win by a length over race favourite Delightful Dreams.

“It was great and so good for the horse’s owner Kym Kearns who was on course tonight alongside the horse’s breeder Bee Pears” says Donnelly, “They are both people that have put a lot of money and effort into harness racing and it’s so nice to see them get some rewards in an industry they are passionate about.”

“Kym is brilliant to train for and Red Rackham’s success in recent months has just been awesome,” said Donnelly.

Earlier in the night driver Michael Hay enjoyed a return to the winner’s circle, his first since 2014, taking out the Osborne Group Chartered Accountants Handicap Trot with Quercus Rubra who won by a staggering 17 length margin off a 40 metre handicap. Hay later brought up a driving double, with a win on the Tracy Cadwallader trained Whitebait Marg in the Hilton Delegat Painting and Decorating Mobile Pace.

Both were at good money, with Quercus Rubra paying $16 and Whitebait Marg $25.60.

Manawatu racing continues on Thursday.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brigette Solomon, for Harness Racing New Zealand