Racing: Latta looks to Arawa Park

Matthew Cameron drew to within one win of Opie Bosson after Best Fella won a 1200m maiden at Oamaru yesterday. Photo / Matt Smith

Premiership protagonists end up winless at Oamaru so it's down to the final day.

The national trainers' premiership will be decided at Rotorua tomorrow, but Yaldhurst trainer Michael Pitman can reflect on a job well done no matter what happens.

Pitman (86 wins) and Awapuni/Riccarton trainer Lisa Latta (84 wins) failed to salute at Oamaru yesterday, although Pitman was particularly unlucky in the final race, when Snowdon was hampered at the start of the 1600m before putting in a huge run for second.

Latta's task at Arawa Park is simple - win two races and share the title with Pitman, or win three and pip Pitman at the post.

She has eight runners entered at Rotorua, with Sergeant Lincoln and Lady Lincoln accepted in two races each, and - while rare - there is a chance the pair may line up twice.

However, Pitman can put his cue in the rack with satisfaction, in a season where he could top the premiership without training a black-type winner.

"I'm proud of what I've done," Pitman said.

"I have never chased a premiership because at the end of the day, I can't send horses around for my benefit.

"Even when I beat Mark Walker, I never sent horses around for my benefit. I only had five or six in on the last day that year.

"If I get beat, I get beat - good luck to her. I've got a good team in this weekend and I hope I win two or three races at Riccarton."

Pitman is back as a warm favourite in the TAB market for the trainers' premiership.

One premiership might have been decided yesterday though, as Opie Bosson steered home Magic Epic and Commander Cody to reach 152 victories for the season.

Matthew Cameron made the first move on the day, winning with Best Fella to hit 149 season wins, but Bosson hit back in races seven and 10 to leave Cameron with a difficult task at Rotorua.

Cameron has seven rides booked at Rotorua, while Bosson has six engagements.

Timaru jockey Ross Doherty secured the South Island apprentice title with a win on Faites Vos Jeux in a restricted open hurdle to move to 44 wins for the season, three ahead of Ashley Frye.

Ryan Thistoll has been lucky enough to sit on one of the world's best gallopers, but he got an equally big thrill yesterday.

Thistoll (33) was aboard the Danny Crozier-trained Ask My Wife in the amateur riders' 2200m and got the best out of the Howbaddouwantit gelding to edge Sabhraj by a head.

The win was Thistoll's first as an amateur rider from just a handful of rides.

Thistoll began working in racing 16 years ago and has seen a bit of the world thanks to the sport of kings.

"I worked for Aidan O'Brien for three years about 10 years ago and I've been working for Terri Rae for the last two years.

"It's a good job - it can take you anywhere."

The O'Brien yard is generally chock-full of Northern Hemisphere stars and Thistoll experienced one of them first hand during his three-year stint with O'Brien.

"I was lucky I got to ride Giant's Causeway on a couple of occasions and I rode lead horses for Stravinsky - it was a good time."

Giant's Causeway won four group ones in England and Ireland in 2000,

earning him the European horse of the year title and went on to leave his mark in the breeding barn with numerous group one winners.

Thistoll is now looking forward to the Grand National carnival. "I think we've got a ride in national week, so that will be a big buzz riding around on my home track."