KEY POINTS:
Canterbury horseman Michael Pitman took a two-win lead in the trainers' premiership at his final meeting for the season at Oamaru yesterday.
Pitman leads Mark Walker, of Matamata, who has opportunities at the Te Awamutu meeting on Wednesday and the final meeting for the season at Hastings on
Thursday.
Walker has Electrify, De Lago Dancer (both in race seven) and Shacuse (race eight) engaged at Te Awamutu.
Pitman said that regardless of the final outcome of the premiership, it had given him great satisfaction to win 86 races this season.
"I thought I might get to 75 wins. People just don't realise how hard it is for a South Island trainer to reach that sort of figure," he said.
Pitman has had 655 starters this season and Walker 538. The Pitman stable has amassed $1,518,954 in stakes and the Walker team, $2,558,607.
Pitman has achieved the highest total for a South Island trainer, surpassing the record 74 wins he set last season, when runnerup to Walker (83 wins) in the premiership.
A South Island trainer has not topped the premiership since Gore-based Rex Cochrane in the 1971-72 season with 53 wins.
It was the third successive win for Cochrane.
Pitman won yesterday with Square Pants, The Pipi Pincher and Outback Fox.
The first two horses were ridden by Ashlee Mundy and the third by David Walsh.
Mundy completed her apprenticeship with Pitman three weeks ago. She rode 101 winners as an apprentice.
Pitman said he would start Square Pants, Peyow Peyow and Benelli in the $125,000 Winter Cup at Riccarton next Saturday.
Square Pants disputed the pace over 1400m yesterday and stalled off Themadmarchhare by half a length. Peyow Peyow was half a length back third.
Juvenile filly Pipi Pincher outsped her 3-year-old rivals over 1200m.
Mundy has the mount on Don't Say Clang, the pre-post favourite for the Winter Cup.
Square Pants is raced by Grove Farm Enterprises operated by Fraser and Maria Murchie, of Leeston.
"They are my unsung heroes as owners with up to 10 horses in work," Pitman said.
Benelli ran second to ill-fated stable mate Final Reality in the $270,000 Coupland's Mile at Riccarton in November.
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Trainer Shane Marr will recommend the owners of Envy Me seek an extension of the lease of the mare for a fortnight after her win in the Oamaru Cup.
"She was booked on a float to go back to Highview Stud after her race today but she might as well run in the Winter Classic," Marr said after the win.
The lease of the rising 6-year-old mare held by the Jentara syndicate, expires on Thursday. The $55,000 Winter Classic (2000m) is at Riccarton on Saturday week.
Envy Me, the lone mount yesterday for Brian Hibberd, has won nine races and $93,150.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES