Telfers win seven on huge Friday night

By Michael Guerin 

One of the great statement nights in New Zealand harness racing history may go on to reap an even bigger prize later in the season.

Team Telfer ruled in two islands on Friday night as the brother and sister training team won five races at Addington, all driven by Tim Williams, and two at Alexandra Park. 

The five at Addington included the Group 1 Avon City Ford Welcome Stakes in which Allamericanplayer led throughout to hold out the brave hot favourite Fugitive.

The result reversed their quinella in the Young Guns Final at Alexandra Park and suggests the gap between the two is closing.

Steve Telfer, who was at Addington alongside sister and training partner Amanda, knows how important those big-race two-year-old wins are.

“He is a good colt and getting better but obviously this means a lot to the team,” he told HRNZ.

“He will stay down here for the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton next week and we are pretty sure he is going to be even better in the second half of the season.”

As important as Group 1s are it was the zenith of a remarkable night as C C Arden, Elektra King, Music Mistress and Akatea also won for the stable at Addington while Sweet Maggie May and Beachbreak triumphed at Alexandra Park.

“It was a very satisfying night,” said the understated Telfer.

“And I think we can keep it up. We have really good numbers down here and I have 14-18 to race on with up north over the winter.

“And we have a lot of numbers and horses we like for the back end of the season so I think we can be strong right the way through now.”

The seven-timer brought Team Telfer right back into the national premiership race as they cut considerably into Michael House’s lead, which started the right at 20 wins clear and ended it 13 in front.

The wonderful night also took Team Telfer to over $1million in stakes for the season after just five months and brought up their 400th win as a training partnership.

It left the premiership betting at $1.60 for House and $2.40 for the Telfers on the TAB futures.

They aren’t the only trainers having a stunner as Regan Todd continued his magnificent run even as Marketplace has headed to the spelling paddock.

This time it was Betterthancash who made the most of a beautiful Robbie Close drive to wear down The Surfer and Pinseeker in a hard-run $107,000 Hydroflow Country Champs Final.

Pinseeker gained the early advantage with great manners but then undid himself by over-racing and skying clear in the middle stages, leaving stalkers The Surfer and the ultimately Betterthancash to run him down.

All three broke 4:0 for the 3200m and could be New Zealand or Auckland Cup horses later this year and for Todd it continued a stunning last 12 months as he has become one of the most feared trainers in the country.

Also to be feared and respected maybe even in the best trotting races later this season is Eurostyle, who was dazzling in the Heather Williams Memorial.

The Derek and Adele Jones-trained mare was given no favours having to work hard three wide and then parked but when driver Kimberly Butt asked her to lengthen stride at the top of the straight she exploded clear to win by two and a half lengths.

It was her 11th career success and second Group 3 win and at a time when some of the older, more established stars are preparing to leave the open class stage in the next 12 months she could find herself winning even bigger races.

She also proved Addington commentator Matt Cross, who tipped her as a near certainty during the week, is smarter than he looks and those who said she wasn’t (I have my hand up, even though you can’t see it) better hope you can teach old dogs new tricks.