Wait Worth It

Betta Go Fernco has been in work for a while but health issues have prevented her from getting to the races.

Today's win with a clean bill of health after colds and other viruses had hindered the Gotta Go Cullect five year old mares progress for young trainer Aaron Swain.

"She's been in work since November. Because I break in so many yearlings and they bring in so many bugs she caught a couple of colds when she'd been ready to go. Since I've had my operation I've sent her to Dad who just has racehorses, so I didn't need to worry about her getting those bugs," he said.

Swain has had to watch from the side lines as she progressed to today's winning outing after having had reconstruction surgery on his left ankle. So his father Murray has put the finishing touches on the mare's training. 

"I constantly rolled my ankle before I finally decided to get it fixed. It turned out that the ligaments were stretched and were off the bone so that needed fixing. I've been out of action for the last six to seven weeks so Dad's done a good job. I'm the sort of guy that barks orders as he's gone around the track, so he has listened."

Murray initially trained Betta Go Fernco and won with her at Invercargill in June last year. Her last race before today's outing was in a heat of the South of the Waitaki Series at Addington in July 2015 where she finished seventh. 

"After that she just got a bit silly so we turned her out to mature and grow. She's come back a lot bigger and stronger. She's also picked up a bit of speed this time in."

To fit her for today's race Swain had taken her to three workouts for an unplaced run, a win and a fourth.  
"I was confident because she hadn't had a bug." 

From draw two on the second line driver Blair Orange held his ground early before ending up in the one one behind favourite Spinnaker. Spinnaker took Betta Go Fernco to the top of the straight before Orange peeled off her back and ran home well down the outside to beat Tuherbs Two by three quarters of a length.

Betta Go Fernco returning to the birdcage                                                Photo by Bruce Stewart

The win was Aaron Swain's second. His first was with Beau Cishlom at Invercargill last November.

Swain uses the colours of his aunty Denise who trained 124 winners including the likes of Clancy (12), The Orator (5), Milton Vance (5), Pickapocket (8), Chavelli (6), Crackem (5), and Just Royce (9).

Those white and yellow colours won $990,971 in stakes for Denise, and adding Aaron's two wins and a second, the colours have just gone past the $1,000,000 mark with $1,000,379. 

The young trainer recently bought 6 acres at Roslyn Bush that adjoins his fathers property. The new barn which can house up to 10 horses is just being finished and once all aspects of the setup have been completed he'll be utilising his father's track.

"I want to throw away some of the breaking in of horses and start training a few more racehorses for people."  

Betta Go Fernco is owned by Brian and Elizabeth Ferns along with Murray and Aaron Swain.

She's out of the Miles McCool mare I'm A Star which won six races for Geoff Knight. Today's successful reinsman Blair Orange also won driving I'm A Star to win at Forbury Park in June 2008.  

As a broodmare I'm A Star has also left Fernco Bobby G which won two for Murray Swain including a mile in 1-56.7 on this track in 2014.

Bruce Stewart