Sand Wave wins Gore Cup in record time

Sand Wave’s (Somebeachsomewhere) win in today’s Mataura Licensing Trust Gore Pacing Cup capped off a premiership winning year for Branxholme harness racing trainer and driver Nathan Williamson and highlighted his skill at getting horses ready to win fresh.

The four year old stallion hadn’t raced since April and Williamson had readied him for today’s race with three workouts.

“Option A was to start in the Invercargill Cup and option B was to start here off 30 metres. I’m glad we didn’t go the Invercargill way. It also gave me the opportunity to give him another trial. I’ve been pleased with the way he’s been building but he’s just a game wee horse,” Williamson said.

Owned by The Nine Three Syndicate, Chris Alcock and the Nude @ Ten Syndicate, Sand Wave stepped well off his thirty metre handicap and Williamson, with a superb drive managed to have him in the right spot at the right time.

“When you’re off a handicap things just need to go to plan. We ended up on Step It Up A Notches back early. Once that happened he dragged me around the field. I was then able to slide across and then get onto Captain Tom’s back so we ended up in a lovely spot.”

Turning in, Captain Tom hit the lead with Williamson angling Sand Wave off his back to make his run.

“He’s a funny wee horse. He did what he does – goes straight by them, cocks his ears and waits on them. Once he spotted that other horse (Hazer) coming he knuckled down again.”

Hazer was gutsy, getting within a half a length of Sand Wave at the finish while Captain Tom’s run for third after doing a stack of work was also full of merit.

The winning time of 3-18.7 was a new track record, beating Pulp Fiction’s 2015 record of 3-20.9.

The win was Sand Wave’s tenth. He’s raced among the best of his age group in three seasons. He won the Southern Supremacy Stakes as a three year old, finished third in the New Zealand Derby and second in the Sophomore at Ashburton, all Group or Listed races.

“You can’t knock him. He’s done some great things and he’s just a great wee genuine horse and it’s great to have him back.”

So what’s next?

“I’d planned today but not too much further. There’s the Northern Southland Cup coming up. Omakau might be too soon for him and I probably wouldn’t look at Roxburgh.”

Further down the track Sand Wave could be given some bigger targets.

“He can follow speed. The harder the race with the more pressure suits him. He’s not a wimp. He can get rolled at the workouts but when it’s gets tough, he can tough it out.”

Today’s meeting was the last in Southland for the 2023 season and Sand Wave’s win took Williamson to his thirty sixth training win, two clear of Wyndham trainer Craig Ferguson.

“I’m real proud of what Craig’s achieved. He’s a good mate of mine. He was well clear at one stage, and it’s been a great finish to the season. We had a lot of winners in November and December. It would have been nice for Craig to win it with his select stable, the high strike rate he has and the terrific job he’s done.”

Williamson says he’s proud of his team.

“We’ve got great staff. There’s a lot of good people around me, and my wife Katie working behind the scenes doing a hell of a lot of work.”

He said the highlight of the season has been the way his young horses performed.

“I think I’ve had six or seven individual two year old winners and that’s something I want to concentrate on. Every year I want to try and race these young horses and move the older horses on or pass them on to other stables. I want to bring the younger ones through because I think that’s where the money is and I can see that part of the game prospering.”

Winning his fifteenth Southland Drivers Premiership was another highlight.

“To equal Henry Skinner’s record is pretty cool. Since I’ve been in Southland I’ve managed to pick it up every year. It was great to tick that off again.”

Williamson finished the season with fifty eight winners, ten clear of Craig Ferguson.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink