Hacksaw Ridge gets job done in Westport Cup

By Mike Love 

It was a day of many highlights and milestones at Patterson Park in Westport after day one of the coast circuit yesterday.

Hacksaw Ridge was simply too good for his rivals in the $25,000 Frank Dooley Memorial Pulse Energy Westport Cup for Wyndham trainer Ricky Gutsell.

Beginning well from his 10 metre handicap, driver Robbie Holmes was able to secure a good run in transit despite a daisy-jumping moment in the first 250 metres. 

Bryce's Meddle ran them along a bit before Holmes spotted John Dunn and Bryce's Meddle starting to battle. Holmes timed his run perfectly despite Hacksaw Ridge getting a little bit awkward in the final part of the race, winning by half a head from the Jim Curtin-trained and driven Ted's Legacy.

"I saw that Jonny (Bryce's Meddle) was flat in front and Sam (Smoke On The Water) had done a bit of work to get around. It was time to get going, which worked out accordingly," said Holmes post-race.

"He's got the job done. Ricky wouldn't have sent him if he wasn't ready."

Hacksaw Ridge will most likely line up in the Reefton Cup on December 30.

Holmes drove a double on the card with Simply Me in the Marchelle In Real Estate Mobile Pace for Greendale trainer Bruce Hutton. Hutton also trained a double with Apatchofgold winning the final race on the card, the Buller Taxis 037896900 Mobile Pace, with driver Sam Ottley. 

Ottley drove three winners on the programme - Flying Bird for Matt Purvis, Mattie Nevin for Mark Jones, along with Apatchofgold.

A rare statistic saw Canterbury horseman Jim Curtin bring up his 100th driving success at Patterson Park when he drove the Peter Holmes trained Transtasman Bubble to victory in the Super Sire Waterloo Sunset Trot. 

Curtin has also trained 36 winners on the track, including three Westport Cup winners, Highview Badlands (2005), Franco Emirate (2010), and Maximan (2013). He also drove all three.

Polly Grey made it two from two for Charing Cross trainers Jason and Ian Thomas and will line up on day two of the meeting. Polly Grey was driven by Carter Dalgety, who with that win gained a one-win advantage in the junior drivers' premiership over Wilson House, currently 89-88.

Fellow junior driver Riley Harrison snared a double at the meeting also, with Heaven and Jasprit Trouble.