He has also chalked up six seconds and four thirds, and his horses have already amassed more than $229,000 in stake money this season.
Shady Lady brought up the fourth win for the season for the Lowry/Cullen partnership and that stable has now had 28 starters since August 1 for four wins, six seconds and four thirds.
Ellis knows how to celebrate
There wouldn't have been a happier person on course at last week's Waipukurau meeting than local owner-trainer Steve Ellis after Devi led practically all the way to win a maiden race over 1350m.
Ellis is very passionate when it comes to his horses and gets hugely excited whenever one of them looks like winning a race.
He positioned himself up against the outside fence in a corner of the Waipukurau birdcage to watch Devi's race and started yelling for the mare from the time she swung into the home straight.
He got more and more vocal as Devi crossed the line 3/4-length clear of the opposition and had a smile from ear to ear as he waited for apprentice jockey Temyia Taiaroa to bring the Darci Brahma mare back to the winner's stall.
It had been a long time since Ellis last celebrated success with his last win being when King Of Rock took out a Rating 65 race over 2000m at Hastings in May 2013.
Waipukurau has been a lucky course for him as he brought up his first training success there when Pennies'n Promises took out a 1600m maiden in March 2006.
"I know I go a bit mental when one of my horse's wins but top trainer Trevor McKee once told me you need to celebrate the wins because you never know when the next one will come along," an elated Ellis said.
"I also had a decent bet on the horse so I had every reason to cheer her on today."
Devi was one of the outsiders in the 11 horse field and returned a dividend of $17.60 for a win and $4.10 for a place.
The success was also a welcome change of luck for Ellis after plenty of disappointment in the past year.
He owned Devi's dam Sachina which he sent north to be mated with a stallion but she got tangled up in a fence and had to be put down.
He also stood the thoroughbred stallion Zellis but also had to euthanise him.
Devi was originally owned and trained by New Plymouth-based Susan Rainsford and was gifted to Ellis.
"The horse showed a fair bit early on and was placed a few times but Susan said she was starting to do a few things wrong and felt as though she didn't want to be a racehorse so she gave her to us," Ellis said.
Ellis said he has changed Devi's training regime around and had a special thank you for Porangahau's Mary Darby for the work she has done with the horse.
"Mary looks after her most of the time and works her on the beach. I just take her to the Hastings track when she needs a bit of fast work and the variety seems to have the turned the horse around," Ellis added.
Devi showed she was on target for a big fresh up run at Waipukurau by winning a 1000m Hastings jumpout by two lengths on September 3.
Shady Lady's deserved win
There was no more deserving winner at last week's Waipukurau meeting than Shady Lady in the maiden 1600m event.
The Nom du Jeu mare had recorded eight minor placings from 11 previous starts including three consecutive seconds from her last three appearances.
Shady Lady capitalised on a positive ride from jockey Johnathan Parkes who took her straight to the front from a wide draw and dictated the pace.
He kicked her clear early in the home straight and she never looked like being caught, crossing the line 2-1/4 lengths in front of her rivals.
Shady Lady is owned by Hawke's Bay man Gareth Arnold in partnership with his London-based brother Sam.
They bred the 5-year-old from the Riviera mare Miss Royce and also have an unraced 3-year-old half-sister to Shady Lady, by Per Incanto, coming on.
Kuru-Nelson team triumph again
Top jumps jockey Aaron Kuru was seen at his patient best aboard the Hastings-trained The Arabian Duke in last Sunday's $30,000 Waikato Hunt Cup Steeplechase at Te Aroha.
Kuru, 27, settled the Paul Nelson-trained 8-year-old at the tail of the field in the early stages of the 4250m feature and bided his time until the last 900 metres before urging his mount a long.
The Arabian Duke quickly ranged up to the leading division and took a clear lead with three fences left to jump.
The horse didn't make a great job of jumping the second to last fence but still held a good advantage coming to the final jump and was too strong for his rivals in the run to the line, scoring by 2-3/4 lengths.
It was The Arabian Duke's third steeplechase start and he now has a record of two wins and a second.
The horse was formerly prepared by his Matamata part-owners Hamish and Karyn McQuade before entering the Nelson stable to be prepared as a jumper.
He looks destined for much greater things over the big fences next winter.
Flat success seen as a bonus
Cowboys Dont Cry, a horse sent north to Pukekohe trainer Rudy Leifting to be prepared for a jumping career, broke through for a maiden win on the flat at Te Aroha on Sunday.
The D'Cash 7-year-old capped off two recent third placings with a dominant 6 length victory in a 2200m highweight, leading all the way for jockey Buddy Lammas.
It was the horse's 12th career start and he had also recorded two third placings last year when trained at Hastings by Kelly Burne.
She still has a racing share in the horse along with four other Hawke's Bay people - Kevin Howat, Darryl Morgan, Mark Taylor and Paul Toothill.
Sixth win for HB-owned mare
Onefortheditch, part-owned by Hastings men Graham Duff and Paul Robinson, brought up her sixth win when she out-finished her rivals in a Rating 65 amateur riders race over 2200m at Te Aroha on Sunday.
The Elusive City 7-year-old had not graced the winner's stall since taking out a 1400m race at New Plymouth in July last year but had turned in several encouraging performances since then.
She is trained at Wanganui by Kevin Myers, who also has a racing share in the mare and has been preparing her as a jumper.
She has had four hurdle starts for a second and a fourth.
Onefortheditch is out of the O'Reilly mare Molly O'Reilly and was bred by another Hawke's Bay racing identity in Tim Symes.
Two in a row for Moss Jazz
Moss Jazz made it two wins from two starts in the South Island with another all the way victory in a rating 65 race over 1200m at last Friday's Gore meeting.
The Tavistock mare was backing up after leading all the way in a 1200m maiden race at Wingatui on September 13 and again proved too strong for her rivals, winning by 2 lengths.
Moss Jazz was bred by Hawke's Bay brothers Chris and Ken Russell and was originally trained on the Hastings track by Sue Thompson and Mick Brown.
Chris Russell decided to send her south to Riverton trainer Stephen Blair-Edie earlier this year and has retained a 30 per cent ownership.
HB owner finally gets first win
It has taken 38 years but Hawke's Bay owner Ken Robson finally got his first win when Secret Squirrel was successful in a 1350m maiden race at Wanganui on September 20.
The Showcasing 5-year-old, trained at New Plymouth by Bryce Revell, was having his 11th start and had previously recorded five seconds and a third.
He started a warm favourite and scored by a neck from Keepin Harmonee, with the Hastings-trained Allacciato a close third.
Robson said this week that the first horse he raced was Ipi Tombi, who was trained at Hastings by Marlene Todd back in 1980 and was unplaced in three starts.
"I've been involved in close on 20 other horses since then but most of them have been no good," Robson said this week.
"My father Reg was a keen racehorse owner and when he died in 2004 I got two fillies by Handsome Ransom."
"I decided to send them over the Bryce Revell but he quickly told me not to waste my time with them. He said he had bought a horse from the South Island that I could take a half-share in and that is Secret Squirrel."
"I'm over the moon to finally get my first win and I think he is a horse that could go on to better things now," he added.
