Horse racing: Pearls win caps string of form

Revolve, ridden by Rosie Myers, on the way to a comfortable win in the Best Travel Maiden Sprint at Waipukurau yesterday. Photo/Duncan Brown

A terrific 2013 for Hastings trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen kept on rolling with Pearls' narrow victory in a thrilling finish to yesterday's Leopard Hotel Christmas Cup at Waipukurau.

Having enjoyed their most successful year in partnership, headed by the Group 2 Travis Stakes win by Pimms Time and quality performers Adventador and Shezgorgeous, Lowry and Cullen took out the $10,000 feature with Pearls. The 5-year-old Sudurka mare prevailed in a desperate battle to the line with last-start winner Fredric William, clinching it by a nose.

The win was a career-best so far for the consistent Pearls - her third from 20 starts, with another eight top-four finishes. It capped a particularly strong run of form, finishing in the top three in all of her last six starts.

It wasn't the only Hawke's Bay success of the day. John Bary also had wins with Far Fetched and Cajun.

But unfortunately those were his only successes of the weekend, with stable stars Recite and Survived coming back from Trentham's premier day empty-handed.

Recite was hot favourite for her first start in almost three months, but was upstaged and convincingly beaten by Taranaki up-and-comer Kawi. Survived was right in the thick of the action in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes, part of a fierce four-horse battle to the line. But he came out fourth best on the day, beaten in a photo finish by a head, a neck and a head by Shuka, Viadana and Brave Centaur. But he can be expected to improve Boxing Day.