Vincent Vega delivers again for the ‘good guys’ of racing

Vincent Vega’s impressive win at yesterday’s Ashburton harness racing meeting was a win for the good guys of the sport.

Kaiapoi horseman Michael Cations picked up just the fourth win of his career in the sulky when the six-year-old son of Shadyshark Hanover zipped up the passing lane in Cations’ colours to easily account for the opposition in the fifth race on the 11-race Ashburton programme.

“I felt as long as I got to the lane or close enough to it, I knew he had plenty,” said Cations.

“He had a big run at Motukarara the week before when he come from last to run fourth. He has a great final quarter in him so it was just a matter of getting a gap and he did that easily, he could have run another quarter at the same speed and just jogged it to be fair.”

The two and half-length victory was the second in the career of Vincent Vega, and the fifteenth in the 37 years of holding a training license for the hobby horseman Cations who juggles a successful insulation business with working a team of horses in the morning.

Better yet, Cations was able to share in the ownership spoils with his great mate John French.

French has unofficially been runner up in the New Zealander of the Year competition on several occasions and is well known to harness racing participants throughout the country for his dedicated service to Harness Racing New Zealand as an administrator for many years.

“I’ve known John fourty years,” said Cations.

“My partner and his wife were nurses at the time together and I met John through that. John then got a job at Roydon Lodge, and we have just shared a common interest with the horses ever since. It’s great for John because he is a champion bloke and my best friend, and I think Vincent Vega was his first winner in something like 27 years.

“John drives fast work every Saturday at my place without fail and has done for years. He is a very good horseman John, and he wouldn’t tell you much about that, but I really rate him. He has a great eye and good set of hands and is very well respected out here,” he said.

French is the co-breeder of Vincent Vega for whom he chose Shadyshark Hanover as a consort with the son of Cam’s Card Shark producing just a handful of runners from limited opportunity on these shores.

From his 21 live foals, Shadyshark Hanover is the sire of some nice pacers including the likes of the Jason and Ian Thomas trained Evangilist who has mixed it with some of the best in her gait in recent times.

Kotare Yoyo, the dam of Vicent Vega, brought some nice blood to the mix being a Presidential Ball half-sister to G1 winner, Kotare Mach (Mach Three) and several other winners.

“I actually purchased the mother off Tony Abell and gifted a share to a friend of mine, Linda Hebbers and her and John bred the horse in partnership.

“Malcolm Shinn broke Vincent Vega in and he’s broken hundreds if not thousands of horses over the years and reckoned he was one of the hardest horses he’s ever had to educate, but he got the job done.

“I’ve had the horse in work from then on, aside from a brief stint on the beach at Bob Butt’s place when I was too busy with work commitments and had one too many horses. Bob qualified him as a four-year-old, and we got him back and raced him from the stables out here in Kaiapoi ever since,” he said.

VINCENT VEGA REPLAY

After taking 21 starts to clear maidens, it would appear the penny has finally dropped for Vincent Vega who after taking a while to find his feet has now won twice in the space of three months. With the horse now developing physically to match the motor that was always under the bonnet, Cations believes there is more fun to be had with the horse yet.

“He’s taken a while to mature if you like, and he still is. He’s still developing all the time and getting stronger. He always showed he had a lot but was just too weak really. We would get two runs out of him before his condition would drop away and so too his form.

“His first three races were a prime example where he ran two great seconds, and we were waiting for him to come out and win and he disappointed us third up. He couldn’t hold his body weight so there was a lot of in and out, in and out until he’s grown up which is just starting to do now. You can back him up now, he’s a lot stronger and he can use the speed he always had.

“He’s led all the way and just got run down a couple of times and he’s come from off the pace for a win. He’s getting an all-round game now, so you’ve got a chance every time you take him to the races which is good. He’s well placed in the ratings as well given you start as a maiden at 50, and after yesterday’s win he’s been re-rated a r43 and running good times like he has, he will win his share,” he said.

Cations is only working a small team but had the added bonus of a trial winner less than 24 hours after his Ashburton success.

“I had one at the workouts today called Miki Party, I bought him for $4000 at the yearling sales and he was an ugly looking yearling who nobody wanted. Qualified about a year ago and he needed time, I took him to the workouts today and he won comfortably. He is a pretty smart pacer and one to watch in the future,” he said.

For complete Ashburton results, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink