Racing: No drama with Easter victory

Endless Drama and Leith Innes capture the Easter Handicap. Photo / Trish Dunell

Former Irish-Australian galloper Endless Drama stayed on strongly to take out the Group 2 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie yesterday.

The seven-year-old Lope De Vega entire has done the bulk of his racing from the Chris Waller stable in Sydney after kicking off his career in Ireland where he rans second in the prestigious Irish 2000 Guineas in 2015.

Successful at Group 2 level over 1400m, Endless Drama was transferred to the stable of Cambridge trainer Tony Pike earlier this year after finishing well back behind Melody Belle in a hit and run raid on the Haunui Farm Weight-For-Age Group1 Classic (1600m) for owners Qatar Bloodstock.

An ideal inside barrier played in the entire's favour yesterday as rider Leith Innes settled him nicely in midfield throughout before tracking up behind runners approaching the home turn.

Angled off the rail at the 300m, Endless Drama quickly forged to the front before digging deep to hold out the challenges of Watch This Space and Yearn to capture his fourth career victory.

"It was a superb ride by Leith [Innes] as I said to just try and hold him up for as long as you can," Pike said. "He sat and waited until the 200m to let him go and he has got an electric turn of foot that he showed at Hawke's Bay. We thought we had him back in form then and we were quietly confident heading into [yesterday]."

Pike admitted he had taken a patient path with Endless Drama as the horse had shown some symptoms of niggling issues from general wear and tear over his career.

"He's just got a little bit of a wind issue being an older horse," he said. "He's quite a big, gross, heavy horse and just ridden that little bit quieter means he can get in a better rhythm and show that turn of foot."

Pike's association with Qatar Bloodstock, who he had trained for earlier in his career, saw him take over training the horse when he was left in New Zealand.

Endless Drama, who finished third behind wonder mare Winx at just his second Australian start, has now won four of his 23 career runs and just over $580,000 in prizemoney.

- NZ Racing Desk