Kite on the board in 2023

Oliver Kite got on the board in 2023 with a well-judged drive to win with Hurricane Hendrix at Oamaru yesterday.

The junior driver scored the 12th win of his career when the pacer trainer by his boss Nathan Williamson went to the line untested in race 8.

There may have been a few nervous moments for punters when Hurricane Hendrix stepped away slowly from the standing start tapes.

But Kite felt he had the situation well in hand.

“I just thought I wouldn’t rush him early.”

“Once he was away those first few strides, I didn’t want to rush him.”

“When he was settled in his gear, he was pretty good.”

After settling behind midfield, Kite produced an assertive drive, taking the lead with a lap to go as Hurricane Hendrix cruised to victory.

“I got around at the right time and I put in a bit of pressure into them down the back.”

“He was too strong for them, which was good.”

“I never pulled the defeaners because I felt I had them covered and I thought I would leave a wee kick if something did come.”

“But he won pretty good.”

There were plenty of other nervous moments for punters on the Forbury Park Trotting Club card at Oamaru.

Backers of both Major Thinker and What A Mix had to wait out a deliberation from judge Bruce Young who could not split the dead-heaters in race 1.

There was also a longer than usual wait for the result of race 8 before Young declared Pyramid Mystic the winner by the narrowest of margins over runner-up Dem Bones Dem Bones.

There were nervous moments of a different kind before Pyramid Mystic’s stablemate Missle took out race 2.

The Phil Williamson trained debutante was clearly headed before the home turn before he fought back for an impressive victory.