Racing: Gingernuts rolling on to Livamol

Gingernuts (5) had a battle on his hands to beat a very game Close Up on Saturday. Photo / NZME

We've said it before and you can't have too much of a good thing.

Imagine if every racehorse we see had the number of owners gathered together to race Gingernuts, powerful winner of Saturday's $200,000 Windsor Park Plate.

Give or take, it's around 40 and judging by the drinks-in-hand euphoria they displayed in the Hastings grandstand as Opie Bosson drove Gingernuts over the line, the members themselves probably don't know the exact number and yesterday and today would be no better day to ask them.

In 11 visits to the races Gingernuts is a round of drinks either side of $1.2 million and there is plenty more to come. Yes, the chance of a syndicate landing one as good as cheaply as Gingernuts is only slightly better than ACT being New Zealand's ruling political party, but winning any race anywhere is as good a thrill as you can have.

Plenty will scoff at that, but ask anyone - and we mean anyone - who has achieved it.

"They're having a ball," says co-trainer Stephen Autridge. "It's wonderful to see. The days of one person owning a racehorse are behind us." Gingernuts had a battle on his hands to beat a very game Close Up on Saturday and the stable was pleased with that.

"It was good to see him get into a real fight because he hasn't had too many of those," says Autridge. "He needed that because if he gets into a real fight in a bigger race, he now knows what to do."

Opie Bosson rode a superb race on Gingernuts who, perhaps misleadingly, never seems to look under extreme pressure. "I got onto Kawi's back and he gave a great lead into the race," said Bosson. With the raceday pattern suiting horses finishing on in the centre of the track, Gingernuts was advantaged and it was a mild surprise Close up, that had come through on the inside, was as difficult to put away as it proved.

The winner was home in his Matamata box at 10pm Saturday night and trotted up yesterday morning to the total delight of Autridge and fellow co-trainer Jamie Richards. He will be a short-priced favourite to take the final leg of the Hastings treble, the Livamol Classic, on Saturday week and off the back of this win he shortened into $13 for the A$3m Caulfield Cup. Gingernuts has 55kg at Caulfield and although that will be difficult for Bosson to achieve, he will take the Australian ride.

The head of the Caulfield market is former New Zealander Humidor at $6, last year's Melbourne Cup winner Almandin $7, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Bonneval $7 and topweight Hartnell at $9.

Humidor and Bonneval are likely to clash in the Underwood Stakes.

There were several enquiries from stewards after the Windsor Park Plate. Rider Jonathan Parkes was asked by stewards to explain why Volpe Veloce could beat home only three runners and were told the mare did not entirely cope with the slow conditions and that in his opinion she would be better suited dropping back in distance. Trainer Graham Richardson told stewards Volpe Veloce would be eased and on returning would be dropped back in distance.

It was a useful day for former New Zealanders at Caulfield with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young scoring with Anaheim.

Waikato Guineas winner Wyndspelle threw out pointers with his 1200m Australian debut two weeks ago, finishing nicely from the tail to finish mid-field. He jumped to 1400m on Saturday and powered home from the back again to be narrowly beaten into second at $5.70 a place. His trainer Mick Kent produced the former Kevin Crampton owned and trained Swiss Moments to score a promising Australian debut win at Packenham on Thursday.