Racing: Different horse but same golden glow for jockey Danielle Johnson

The smile says it all on the face of Danielle Johnson after she rode Five to Midnight for her consecutive HB Gold Cup victories, in Hastings, today. Photo/Paul Taylor

The horse was different but it was still a sense of deja vu for Danielle Johnson who rode Five To Midnight to victory in the Hawke's Bay Gold Cup, in Hastings, today.

It was Johnson's consecutive acquisition of the Winning Edge Presentations-sponsored cup at the HB Racecourse, after she rode Chenille across the line first last year.

"That's great, especially great to win on that horse [Five To Midnight] who was kicking on from the last three starts," said the 26-year-old Auckland jockey, revealing the 4-year-old brown gelding had had a rash of bad luck, such as wide draws.

The Lisa Latta-trained horse was coming off a 2-5-4-3-3 record (grp 2-3) into the listed cup race, with a fifth for the group 1 Barfoot and Thompson Auckland Cup, which, ironically, Chenille had won.

Five To Midnight's last win came in the $30,000 Vale Bill Skelton MBE Premier at Trentham in early December last year.

When the $75,000 open handicap race started over 2200m in Hastings today, Johnson had Five To Midnight tucked between Balham (Mark du Plessis) and Clarify (apprentice Shaun McKay) in the opening straight to make their intentions clear.

But about 300m out from the finish it became a three-way tussle between the victors, Australian horse Maygrove (Matthew Cameron), who finished second two lengths behind, and Balham, 2.4 lengths adrift for third place.

"He's going to progress into a nice horse and he will go out for a good break now," said Johnson of Five To Midnight after the combo relished the No 1 gate start.

She felt the mount was still a little immature and weak but six months on would blossom into a beautiful animal.

As a smiling Johnson headed for the scales, HB Racing general manager Andrew Castles remarked she should emulate today's feat at the Auckland Cup.

"Chenille won it last year so he [Castles] was just talking about the path that he [the horse] could probably take in time but that's looking very far ahead," she said of the gelding whose career earnings shot over the $200,000 mark.

A grinning horse owner, Kevin Pratt, operating under the banner of Kamada Racing in Palmerston North, said at the Birdcage: "I'm not used to being up here but they've been giving them away lately."

Pratt said it had been a long time between wins and drinks with a rash of 2nds, 3rds and a fifth at the Auckland Cup.

Pacorus (5.2L, apprentice Viktoria Gatu) was fourth while Endean Rose (9.2L, Alysha Collett) and Pure Lorde (10.5L, Lisa Allpress) followed.

Savaria and El Pistola were scratched on a fine, balmy autumn's day although a short, sharp shower kicked in momentarily during the presentation ceremony but nothing could wipe the smiles of those celebrating.