KEY POINTS:
Three Chimneys sent a strong signal to his summer cups rivals when unexpectedly winning the listed $50,000 Wanganui Cup on Saturday.
Trained at Foxton by David and Sarah Haworth, Three Chimneys was having just his second start back from a brief spell after running third in the Sydney
Cup in April. He also finished second in the Chairman's Handicap at the same venue the start prior to the Sydney Cup.
On Saturday rider Hayden Tinsley hooked the six-year-old out from the tail of the field and with just one crack of the whip whooshed down the outer to claim longshot Highflying by three-quarters of a length with a nose back to Bak Da Chief in third.
The win gave Tinsley his second winner of the day during his first day back at the office after more than two months on the sideline with injury.
The Wanganui Cup win took David Haworth by surprise.
"I was quite shocked actually. If he had run third or fourth I would have been happy.
"The 2000m here I thought would have been too short. He's only had the one run back and two trials," Haworth said.
"This breed - and I've trained most of them, including Skate and Halls - gets better and stronger with age. His mother, Star On Ice, won her first race at six and then won another at 12."
The Wanganui Cup win was a bonus for the Haworths, who had set the Generous gelding for the $100,000 Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa on December 16.
* The Paul Belsham winning roll continued on home turf on Saturday when Many Danske proved one of the more popular local victories on the day.
The Danske four-year-old was bred by Wanganui farmer Paul Gudsell and the Unevano Syndicate includes a host of River City race-lovers.
Many Danske was having her fourth start back from a spell and was an obvious chance after her close second at Manawatu on November 16.
Ridden on Saturday by Chris Johnson, Many Danske came with the last run to win the Wanganui Steelformers 1320 from Eva Beaver, with Feazzure holding third.
Belsham has consistently said Many Danske would be a better prospect over more ground than Saturday's 1320m and is now looking for black type events over more distance.
Gudsell has a full sister to Many Danske at home and a half-sister by Painted Black.
- WANGANUI CHRONICLE