The Kevin Myers jumping juggernaut came to Wingatui yesterday, but there was still room for the Wingatui trainers to make their mark.
Myers trained Ngario, the winner of the first restricted open hurdle, before Billy Elliot proved too tough for Cecil in the steeplechase at the Otago Racing Club's Positively Pink raceday.
Stable representative Ken Harrison said Ngario's 7-length win in the hurdle would not be the last for the son of Captain Rio.
"He's going to be a nice jumper,'' Harrison said.
"He's a good enough horse to win on the flat again. He's got plenty of pace.''
Billy Elliot took his career record over the biggest fences to three wins from four starts when he thwarted a late bid from Cecil after the last fence in the restricted open steeplechase.
The Zed 6yr-old has covered some kilometres in the last week after finishing fifth in an amateur riders rating 65 2100m at Hawera last Sunday in the hands of Myers' daughter, Caley Myers.
The biggest cheer for the jump races came when novice jumps jockey Shankar Muniandy timed his run to perfection aboard Gold Leaf in the second of the restricted open hurdles.
Muniandy set off after hot favourite Revenge from the 600m, and saved ground on the inside to nab the win by three-quarters of a length.
Muniandy can claim the tag of Otago's leading jumps jockey this season for now, although he is not committed to another go over the hurdles.
"I'm not sure about that - [flat racing] is my main job,'' he said.
Muniandy got the ride on Gold Leaf after the hurdles were split into two races and KC Walters had already committed to High Forty.
"He went a good race last start - KC did a good job and got him round safely,'' co-trainer Shane Anderton said.
Anderton and his father, Brian, also prepared Patrick Erin for a 1200m maiden win after three placings in his first three starts.
"He probably beat himself the first couple of times, running around and doing things wrong, but he got it all together today,'' Anderton said.
{He'll be a nice horse in six months - he's just a wee bit weak.''
● An X-ray four months ago has helped Gore trainer Ellis Winsloe to narrow his focus and options with Irish Excuse, and the soft track choice is paying off.
"We couldn't work out why he wasn't going so good, but we X-rayed him and found bone chips in his knee,'' Winsloe said.
"They had shifted around and we don't have to go in and operate, so right now we've got our fingers crossed. That's why we haven't been racing him on top of the ground, to stop him from jarring up.''
The Winter Cup is the target for Irish Excuse, and Winsloe may take the 5yr-old to Riccarton on June 25 as a preparatory run for the flat feature during Grand National week in August.
● Sucre, who finished fifth behind Irish Excuse, has been retired by her Ascot Park trainer and part-owner, Sean Bellew.
The 7yr-old won 12 races, collecting more than $240,000 in stakes from her 52 starts.
Sucre is heading into retirement, but former jockey Debbie Kennedy proved class was permanent when she came out of retirement to win the Track Riders Oaks aboard Dalwhinnie, beating Acquiesce, ridden by Corey Campbell.
