Wanganui galloper Thorn Prince gave weight and a beating to his rivals as he went two better than last year to capture the feature event on the card at Te Rapa, the Listed Woods Group Taumarunui Gold Cup (2100m).
The gallant 6-year-old son of Thorn Park has established a marvellous record with yesterday's victory his ninth from just 30 starts along with a further nine placings. That consistency has kept him at the top of the handicaps for the past two seasons, a fact that trainer Fraser Auret was more than mindful of as he prepared him to carry topweight of 59kg in the event.
"We felt a bit sorry for the horse as he hadn't won a stakes race before today so carrying a big weight like that is tough," he said after the race.
"His work had been spot on and though he missed a lead-in race he does race very well on the fresh side so we weren't concerned about that.
"He is just an incredibly consistent horse and I'm just extremely happy for him as he definitely deserves a race like this."
Thorn Prince had carried a similar weight in the race a year ago to finish an unlucky third behind Wanabefamous and Addictive Habit after being impeded near the finish. This time rider Johnathon Parkes took luck out of the equation as he swept to the lead on the gelding with 600 metres to run and defied his rivals to run him down. Last start Blathwayt got the closest in the run home but was still nearly five lengths adrift at the finish with Storming The Tower battling on gamely for third.
"He travelled into it at the 600 metre mark and it was just a matter of keeping him in the clear with no hiccups," reported Parkes.
"Carrying 59kg was a big effort as I heard on the radio this morning a horse hadn't carried a weight to win this race like that in the last 25 years so it was a great training feat.
"He was always travelling nicely on the bridle so I just wanted to keep him rolling where he was happy."
- NZ Racing Desk