KEY POINTS:
Cambridge horseman Peter Ferguson has never lacked confidence and he was rewarded in glorious circumstances at Ashburton yesterday.
Punters, trainer and drivers were predicting Group One winning machine One Dream would dominate the 3-year-old fillies final. Ferguson refused to listen and his judgement was rewarded when regular drive Running On Faith defeated One Dream.
Running On Faith worked overtime to win the sprint feature, racing three-wide throughout. This was while One Dream was working to secure her favoured pacemaking position.
It was apparent before the home turn that One Dream was under pressure in front of challengers closing quickly on the favourite.
One Dream appeared to have the measure of her rivals with 100m remaining but had no answer to the finishing sprint of Running On Faith.
Ferguson was adamant after the race that he had driven the filly to perfection to score the upset win.
"I just let her relax out there three-wide as they were running along in front," said Ferguson.
"If you had seen her last-start effort when finishing second behind One Dream in the New Zealand Oaks, you'd know how tough she is.
"We trucked into it on the home turn and my filly could've have gone another lap at the finish.
"This trip has really forced this filly to grow up. She's gone from strength to strength over the past month."
* Ferguson was back in winning form later when teaming with consistent filly Lizzie Maguire to score an effortless victory in the 2-year-old fillies final. Lizzie Maguire led early before settling three deep on the inner, then pulled out to sit parked outside the leader for the closing 800m.
The Christian Cullen-sired filly was travelling strongly on the home turn and lengthened stride with ease to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Susie Maguire, with a further neck back to Itz Cherry Ripe in third. The mile was cut out in a sizzling 1m 56.5s, with closing 800m and 400m sectionals of 59.4s and 28.2s.
"The Harness Jewels day with these nine $200,000 races is what you focus on winning as a driver and I'm stoked to have won with Running On Faith and Lizzie Maguire," said Ferguson.
"Lizzie Maguire did it tough to win this race, as we led early and got a sit before I pulled to sit outside the leader. I knew I had the leader covered on the home turn but I was worried there may have being a late sweeper."
* The decision by popular Pukekohe trainer Steven Reid to also drive stable runners in feature races has proved fruitful in the past month. Reid was back in the winner's circle at Ashburton yesterday, displaying fine front running driving skills to guide stable star Monkey King home for an impressive victory.
Reid punched the son of Sands A Flyin straight to the front and was able to control the tempo of the race, clinching victory with blistering closing 800m and 400m sectionals of 56.1s and 27.7s. Monkey King scored by 2 lengths over Divisive with a further three-quarters of a length back to Beau Rivage (third).
The undoubted run of the race was that of Divisive, who broke in the run-up to the mobile starting position and lost 15 lengths on the field. To get within 2 lengths of the winner was staggering.
