Rowe Cup winner fires Dominion warning shot with G3 success

In the world of harness racing, few in Australasia know how to get a trotter peaking for a big day like New Zealand’s leading trainer of square gaiters, Phil Williamson.

Much had been made of his two-pronged attack for the $40,000 G3 Worthy Queen with last year’s winner, Majestic Man (Majestic Son), looming as the logical choice ahead of his Rowe Cup winner from earlier in the year, Love N The Port (Love You).

The latter had been well below his best in recent starts and having not won over a sprint trip from his six attempts to date, you would have been forgiven for thinking today’s feature would serve as little more than a tune-up for the big striding son of Love You.

The stats were in direct contrast to his stable mate who is proven himself over the last four years as one of New Zealand’s best over the short course, with punters backing Majestic Man into a clear second favourite behind the South Bay Trotting Cup winner, Mystic Max (Village Mystic).

It’s not often you see the open class trotters greet the standing start tapes over 2000m, and with a quick beginning crucial, two of the three mares in the race, I Dream Of Jeannie (Monarchy) and Resolve (Andover Hall), put themselves into prominent positions early after pinging away from wide on the front line to find the pegs with consummate ease.

Matty Williamson and Love N The Port began brilliantly also and soon came looking for the front with Zac Butcher more than happy to oblige and take a trailing position with his charge.

From there the Rowe Cup winner was able to dictate terms and pinched a couple of cheap quarters before race favourite Mystic Max and Blair Orange applied some pressure and at last putting some speed into the race.

Turning for home, the flashy chestnut from Oamaru kicked clear on the back of a 27.9 third quarter down the back and was never really challenged in the run to the line.

Resolve and Bob Butt managed to clear traffic from three back the markers to finish best of the chasing pack with a lovely burst down the centre of the track for second, while I Dream Of Jeannie was solid in third having also sucked along the back of the winner for the majority of the race.

The winning time from the 2000m stand was 2:29.9 with the last half run in 56.1 and the last mile run in 2:00.5. Love N The Port is now the winner of nine from 39 starts for $254,000 in stakes.

LOVE N THE PORT REPLAY

Speaking to Harnesslink’s Bruce Stewart after the race, Phil Williamson was naturally delighted with the performance of his Rowe Cup winner who will relish the staying test that awaits on Friday.

“It’s one of the reasons we started today because we dodged the superstars. But we are in there having a go and will see what happens. The two miles won’t hurt us and you need a bit of luck but I am sure we can go a good race.

“His last race was well below par, we just stuck with the faith really because I was very happy with his first two or three races this campaign without much luck,” said Williamson.

“We came today hoping that the real Love N The Port would front, and he did. When he is on his game he is a really nice horse. A week ago we took him to the track and he and Majestic Man both worked really well and thought they were right where they needed to be. You just have to progress through the week and hope you can hold everything together and they fronted today.

“Matty knows him so well and he is a real asset to have, but all of my sons are good drivers and think they all have a bit of quality,” he said.

Regular pilot, Matty Williamson who tasted success earlier with another North Otago product in Cody Banner paid credit to his father’s ability to get Love N The Port on his ‘a’ game for today’s G3 feature.

“Dad has been happy with his work the whole way through which made things hard because he went those two shockers and then his other two runs had been brilliant. Dad has got him right on the day and shows he is in the right form to hopefully run in the top four come Friday in the Dominion,” said Williamson.

“He travelled really nicely down the back, obviously when Blair came up the speed went on a bit I thought he was flat enough going the speed they were. We soon fought him off and then he was travelling real good trucking round the bend.

“Going to the wire he was holding them pretty well, the last 150m I didn’t have to ask him for too much because he had them held,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink