Phil Williamson was to the fore again when the Northern Southland club's group three Southern Lights Trot was run at Ascot Park on Saturday for the 10th time.
Monty Python won this years edition, sponsored by Prydes Easi-Feed, to give Williamson four wins in the race as a trainer. He drove one of them, Springbank Sam in 2015, and also won in 2010 on the Warren Bartlett-trained Raymauwarrhen Sun. He recalls the 13 year old setting a new race and track record for 3200 metres of 4:07.2 and it lasted until he drove Springbank Sam who lowered it to 4:07.1. Harriot Of Mot went 4:05.3 last year so when Monty Python clocked 4:06.6 on Saturday, it was an entire's and gelding's record only.
Matthew Williamson was the winning driver and praised the honesty of Monty Python.
“You get the same horse every week,” he said, to which his father added, “he's a damn good horse, just a wee bit below the elite.”
Monty Python is raced by the Griffins Syndicate, along with David Beckingsdale, on lease from his mid-Canterbury breeders Keith and Bevan Grice. Neil Bennett, spokesman for the syndicate, said a lot of the horses they've raced have been Grice-bred, an arrangement set up by Beckingsdale. One of the first group was Mellow Puff, the horse that by name association led to the naming of the syndicate.
Bennett said the three-win trotter Rugged Cross was the first they had trained by Williamson, and Monty Python followed. He advised the syndicate was set up in Christchurch but the 40 shares are held from Stewart Island in the south to New Plymouth in the north.
“We've got nine horses, Andrew and Lyn Neal had one at the Cambridge Workouts today” he said, reporting the two year old Tintin In America filly Western Zephyr had been successful in the 2200 metre learners mobile.
As webmaster for the Canterbury Trotting Owners Association, Bennett also has an interest in the raceday experience for owners and was unhesitating in his praise of the Northern Southland Club.
“This is the best club in New Zealand for what it does for owners,” he said.
As is often the way in the south, Phil and Matt Williamson took out both trots on the programme, with Blazing Under Fire resuming on a winning note from 20 metres behind in the C1 and C2 trot. The Williamsons joined Nigel McGrath, Graeme Anderson, Dexter Dunn and Blair Orange as multiple winners. McGrath picked up the group three pacing features with Dizzy Miss Lizzy and Ears Burning. Orange drove Dizzy Miss Lizzy and won on other Canterbury visitors Better B Chevron and Mongolian Storm.
All Star Magician and Eamon Maguire won for Anderson, while stablemate Titan Banner was runner-up to Ears Burning in the Cup. All Star Magician paced the 2200 metre mobile trip in 2:41.5 to win his third in a row and third from just five starts. Eamon Maguire went an even faster 2:39.8 to win his fourth in a row and seventh from nine starts. Already holder of the three year old colts and geldings track record for the trip, Eamon Maguire shaved another point two of a second off his previous best time.
Eamon Maguire and All Star Magician are both three year old gelded sons of Art Major and sit first and seventh on the list of qualifiers for next month's Southern Supremacy Stakes. Both were driven on Saturday by Dunn whose win on the Michael House-trained Trendy Bromac gave him three for the day. A three year old filly by Mach Three, Trendy Bromac paced the 2200 metre trip in 2:42.6.
That time was matched in the first when Delight My Soul quit maidens after recording some big placed efforts. Bred and raced by Steve and Carol Baucke of Woodlands and trained by Steve, Delight My Soul is a Bettor's Delight four year old from the In The Pocket mare Soliel D'or. Later in the day her two year old half-sister, I'mallaboutthebase by Shadow Play, finished second for the Bauckes to Dizzy Miss Lizzy in the group three fillies classic. A week earlier she had been checked out of the group three Kindergarten Stakes when on debut.
Longest price winner on the day was Likethelook in the $18,000 Autumn Futurity. Responding to the variety of being ridden in his lead-up work, the out of form five year old one-winner came from well back on the turn to clock an impressive 3:21.5 for the mobile 2700. He was bred and is owned and trained by Invercargill enthusiast Brian Nicol who also had Likethelook's half brother Cast A Shadow in the race. Cast A Shadow came home fifth of the 11 runners, collecting enough to take Nicol's share of the stake past $10,000.
Mac Henry
