They don’t call him ‘the master’ for nothing

You don’t get a nickname in harness racing like ‘the master’ without just cause.

In a career entering its fifth decade, trotting maestro Paul Nairn has well and truly earnt that right, thanks in part to 68 New Zealand Group and Listed victories in which he has produced some of New Zealand’s truly great square-gaiting talent.

Such is the caliber of individuals to have come out of Nairn’s Leeston barn, Matua Tana (Love You) might not be spoke of in the ilk of the Stig’s and Call Me Now’s. However, very few that were on track tonight at Addington Raceway will forget the performance by both horse and trainer in taking out the $40,000 Listed Uncut Gems Trotters Classic.

Fresh up for the first time since February against a deep field of in form and talented trotters, Nairn produced the big son of Love You as he has done time and time again. Trained to the minute and trotting as squarely as ever.

Off the maximum back mark of 30m, Nairn had Matua Tana away safely albeit slowly with the pair 20 lengths off race favourite Paramount Empress and stone motherless last as they headed down the back the first time.

Matthew Williamson and Cody Banner made the Nathan & Mark Purdon trained daughter of Muscle Hill work hard to find the top however, and with Rasmuessen struggling to get the hot pot to settle in front, she was forced to take cover behind a surging My Moment’s Now and John Dunn with a little over a lap to run.

O’Reilly was able to get a great drag into the race three wide on the back of the improving Time Up The Hill who was the first to get serious. And for a trotter who could be at the best of times described as enigmatic, Matua Tana travelled beautifully down the back working nicely through his gears.

Paramount Empress was travelling much kinder for Rasmussen with a helmet to follow and took the lane with purpose, but the lightly raced mare had work to do with the Greg and Nina Hope trained Eurokash poking his head in front 100m out from home.

No sooner had Ben Hope looked a winner, Paramount Empress regained ascendency, but unfortunately for her, Matua Tana balanced up and stormed down the outside to get up in the shadows of the post.

The winning time for the 2600m journey was trimmed up off the 30m mark to a tidy 3:17.0 with a mile rate of 2:01.9 and closing sectionals of 58.1 and 29.9.

MATUA TANA REPLAY

Career victory number 10 for the nine-year-old gelding was a fitting victory and remarkably his first at stakes level at his 17th attempt. His win also provided his pilot Gerard O’Reilly with a hat-trick of driving successes on the night having earlier scored with Sweet Belle and Test The Boundaries.

Matua Tana is raced by G K Hills, P H Smith, Pedomi Syndicate and Nairn himself and the $20,000 winners cheque took his career earnings to $124,566.

For complete Addington race results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink