Warrior wins at Wingatui

Warrior Easton (Auckland Reactor) cleared maiden ranks at the Forbury Park harness racing meeting on the grass at Wingatui today (Dec. 2).

Driver Blair Orange didn’t push the four year old off the gate in today’s race and he settled three back on the inside. 

“He was a bit shaky going out of the gate today, but he had a wee mishap last night. He lost his cover so he may have been feeling a bit of muscle pain,” trainer Brian Norman said.

Coming up the straight Orange had to navigate his way through, and when Bromac Hype (Auckland Reactor) ducked out for a few strides he pushed Warrior Easton forward and he held on to win by half a length from the late finishing Conquer Clare (American Ideal).

“I couldn’t really see if he’d won. I knew he was going to run in the money but you can only see them in that last fifty metres.”

WARRIOR EASTON REPLAY

Norman was given Washington Princess (Washington VC) the dam of Warrior Easton, by Wyndham trainer Gordon Lee who trained her with his brother Colin.

“Gordon said Washington Princess didn’t have any speed, but she could keep going all day. They bred a couple from her and they didn’t have any speed either. I didn’t really want to take her but I took her and sent her to Auckland Reactor because he had a ton of speed.”

Norman said Warrior Easton has been a pleasure to deal with but patience was required.

“He was always going to be a slow maturing horse, so I just kept putting him out.”

Warrior Easton’s second dam Carefree Princess (Pass With Care) won eight races for Gore trainer Paul Kelly. Her wins included the 1986 Southland Oaks Final. The dam of Carefree Princess, Queenship, (Lordship) was a very good broodmare leaving Lord Hillas (Mister Hillas) which won six, Queens Advocate (Alba Counsel) 4, Noble Fella (Son Of Afella) 9, Man Of Steel (Vance Hanover) 4 and Horatius (Double Century) 4.

Queenship is the only mare to have left a winner of two iconic age group races in Southland – the Southern Supremacy Stakes and the Southland Oaks (now the Southern Oaks). Noble Fella won the 1987 Supremacy for trainer Bryce Buchanan and Carefree Princess won the 1986 Southland Oaks.

Warrior Easton was bought by Australians Merv and Meg Butterworth prior to running second at Invercargill on November 23rd so he’s likely to continue his career in Australia.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart for Harnesslink