Racing: Unlikely threesome break hoodoo

They were the most unlikely of rescue teams.

But on Saturday night two young Kiwi women and a cranky old lady broke the Moonee Valley hoodoo that has dogged New Zealand harness racing's best this season.

While Elsu was the star of the show after thrashing his Hunter Cup rivals later in the night, it was 10-year-old trotting mare Lanson who ended New Zealand's season of horror at the Valley.

By overcoming a 20m handicap to win the group three trot on Saturday night she became the first New Zealand-trained winner at Moonee Valley this season.

After a summer when the biggest names in the New Zealand harness racing industry have been humbled in Melbourne, it took two young horsewomen to break the spell.

Lanson has been trained for her one-week Australian campaign by Tamaia Wallwork, who is in only her second official season as training partner for Kevin Walker.

Walker decided on the Australian campaign only a week before the series started last Saturday because of the weakened entries for the Australasian Trotting Championship.

But Lanson blew her shot at group one glory by galloping badly in her heat last week.

That meant plenty of overtime for Wallwork this week and an SOS call to Lanson's former driver Nicole Thorn.

Thorn used to work for the Walker-Wallwork stable until last year and when she left she also lost the drive on Lanson.

But after Lanson's gallop last week Thorn was asked to make the trip to Melbourne because she was the driver who had got the best out of the mare in the past, having won an Interdominion heat on her at Moonee Valley last season.

The change proved to be a masterstroke.

Not only did Lanson make a flying start, Thorn then drove the perfect race on her, waiting patiently before coming with the last run to win.

While both Wallwork and Thorn were delighted with the victory it was also tinged with what-might-have-been because on Saturday night's form Lanson could have won the A$150,000 Australasian Trotting Championship had she qualified last week.

As it was, that race was won by the lowly rated Lost In The Park.

After the win Wallwork praised Thorn.

"We decided to ask Nicole to come over because she knows her better than any other driver," said Wallwork.

"She couldn't have driven her any better and I am just as happy for her as I am for us."

Lanson will now return home to Auckland looking a serious chance to make the $250,000 final of the Interdominions, which start on March 4.

But regardless of how she performs there her second Moonee Valley win on Saturday will further enhance her broodmare value should Walker decide to eventually sell any of her progeny through the sales ring.

And Lanson will always be the old lady who, with the help of two of her girlfriends, helped to break the Moonee Valley hoodoo just in time for Elsu to win the Hunter Cup.