Big finish gets Amass home at Addington

By Michael Guerin

The credit was being spread far and wide after Amass wore down his opponents at Addington on Friday night.

The six-year-old made it career win number five but never looked like getting there until the last few strides for trainer-driver John Morrison.

It looked a lead-trail quinella for Cardi B and Triple G for most of the Addington home straight but Amass ducked to the inside and wouldn’t be denied.

“I know they didn’t go much time overall but the fast second last quarter down the back helped bring us into the race,” said Morrison.

“He is getting better all the time and he might be worth having a crack at some country cups with.”

Morrison got Amass to train through when Ken McRae suggested to the owners that Morrison may be able to help the then unsound pacer.

“I used to work for Sticks McRae so Ken [his Dad] suggested me to the owners for this horse.

“Amass had had a tendon issue so I have been lucky to be able to lean on Warren Stapleton for some help there.

“And it might help also that I do a lot of my own shoeing so I can play around with his feet.

“I spent some time learning to shoe with Kerry O’Reilly so there was no better man to learn from.”

Morrison still shoes the odd outside horse but rarely has time these days as he has 20 horses in work at the Ashburton track.

“I have a nice team around me so it is going well,” says the 27-year-old.

There were plenty of highlights at the low key Addington meeting with John “Coaster” Howe training a rare Addington double.

Cormoran Strike made the most of a perfect Robbie Close drive to win and was followed in the next race by smart pacer Berrettini, again with Close in the sulky.

Both winners were bred and owned by Phil and Christine Smith, who also raced Berrettini’s dam Midnight In Paris.

She won three races and has left then the talented Nandolo, who paced 1:48.6 in the US, as well as four other winners in a prolific broodmare career.

Earlier in the night the popular TAB Racing Club got its first harness racing win when Eun Sogno clawed his way to a brave victory on debut.

The son of Captain Crunch and former star filly One Dream was wearing the TAB Racing Club colours and has to be to good to win for the Dalgetys in a 56.5 second last 800m and the closing 400 in 26.9 seconds.