Enigmatic pacer Waytogo Bruno delivered on his promise in a big way at Alexandra Park this evening and in the process gave sire Betterthancheddar his first New Zealand winner.
The half-brother to former star pacer and now stallion Highview Tommy had to survive a protest from Stipendiary Stewards after he galloped off the arm and pushed the limits of the 150-metre rule.
But in the hands of co-trainer Joshua Dickie, he found his stride short of the post the first time and then proceeded to administer a beating that only a good horse can.
It’s not the first time the unfurnished pacer has misbehaved – he ducked under the markers when leading with a lap to go in his second start at Cambridge last month.
Co-trainer John Dickie states the obvious when he says it’s a case of the horse having more than a few tricks.
“It’s hard to explain.
“He sees things around him. That’s probably the best way to put it.
“That night at Cambridge he spotted some leaves that blew across the track.
“A normal horse wouldn’t have seen them, but he did.”
Dickie says the horse has tested his and Joshua’s patience but it will ultimately be worth it in the long run.
“It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure.
“After the Cambridge incident I put the pacifiers on him but he couldn’t see in his next start and barely tried.
“But he had been working like a super horse at home with them on.”
They were back off tonight, replaced by the sliding blinds and, while it didn’t stop him from galloping again, it did keep him sharpen once he was down and pacing.
The horse was put on the unruly by the Stewards subsequent to tonight’s run and will be there for at least the next three runs.
Dickie says they will take the foot off the gas with the horse for the time being.
“We might just go easy on him now.”
Betterthancheddar, a son of Bettor’s Delight, is about to stand his fifth season Down Under with Alabar at their Victorian farm.
His first crop numbers 73 and, incredibly, before tonight, 22 of them had qualified but none had yet won.
Waytogo Bruno has broken that duck and he looks to have plenty more in store.
He is co-owned by John Dickie and Invercargill couple Ben and Karen Calder.
It was Ben who selected the colt at the 2016 Karaka Yearling Sale, going to $22,000 for him.
