Unico Realta breaks maidens at Rangiora

By Mike Love 

Woodend Beach trainer Wayne Robertson was delighted with his upset result  with Unico Realta at Rangiora yesterday.

"It's great to get the win!," he said, "They're few and far between."

Paying $21, the Ultimate Machete gelding took out the Ruby Hoof Creme - Putting Your Best Hoof Forward Mobile Pace at just his second career start.

Driven by Riley Harrison, the four-year-old showed good early gate speed to secure a run in the trail. Executing a run up the passing lane, Unico Realta was too tough, winning by three-quarters-of-a-length with a slick final quarter of 28.9, from Harry's Girl with race favourite River third.

Unico Realta showed a bit of promise early in his career when being developed by trainer Ken Barron before being tipped out for a longer than anticipated break.

"It had eighteen months out," says Robertson. 

"They liked him as a two-year-old so they took him to the workouts, but he just went fair so they turned him out. Then he kind of just kept missing his turn to come in for one reason or another."

Unico Realta is raced by Wayne and his wife Vicky, along with Wayne's brother Murray Robertson, Phil and Leonne Messina and Jenna Dunn.

"He's improved so much from his first race. He'd been working nice, even though he's green. He's a nice long, big horse, so time definitely helped him."

Robertson has worked with horses for various trainers over the years at Woodend including the Hopes and in more recent years the Dunns.

"You can't beat the straight line training and working them on the beach."

Robertson has not had a horse at the races since Who's Queen won four in the 2024 season, and he has now won 12 as a trainer.

"I only do one at a time. I have a trotter I qualified last year, Brenda's Jewel, who I will race through the winter while this one is having a break."

Unico Realta will be heading over to the Coast this weekend.

"Because he's still learning the ropes we will head to the Coast this week which will really help him. Then he might have another two or three runs then tip him out and get him ready for the spring."