Now, Stunin Dude could give his 2015-16 season an early push towards similar results in tomorrow’s Kurow Cup at Oamaru.
Court’s first season as a solo trainer was about as good as he could ask for, winning 32 races from just 161 starters.
"We had a good amount of wins, and a few of the 2yr-olds were pretty competitive in the big goes," he said.
"That’s where I sort of aim my heights and I think I was pretty happy overall, really."
Court expects to work well into the 20s in terms of horse numbers when the season is in full swing, with particular interest in his New Zealand Cup hopeful, Brilliant Strike.
"He’s back in and he’s coming along nicely. Fingers crossed, we don’t run into any issues with him again."
Stunin Dude’s fifth at Addington last week might look fair to middling on paper, but the last 800m sectional gives a better guide to his effort behind Mr Mojito.
"He went super at Addington," Court said.
"I clocked him to get home in 55.2 [seconds] so if he can carry that form into Sunday, he’s going to be hard to beat, I suppose.
"He’s just racing really well at the moment, so it would be good if he could pick up one of those. He deserves it."
Stunin Dude has drawn the inside marble of the four horses on the 10m line, but Court expects his manners to be intact, as usual, for driver Blair Orange.
"He usually begins pretty good so it shouldn’t worry him too much. I’ll leave it up to Blair to do what he does, but he’s certainly racing pretty well."
Manners were an issue for Hilarious Magic from a standing start at Addington last week, but returning to a mobile start should be a big help for the 3yr-old.
"He actually went away the other day and had gone a couple of hundred metres before he galloped. Ricky [May, driver] thought he might have got squeezed up a wee bit and at the same time, I thought he might have grabbed a shoe.
"Back to the mobile is obviously a big help and he’s quite a nice wee horse, so he should account for himself pretty well."
The c0 2000m mobile pace looks well within the scope of the 3yr-old colt, who is the only runner on the second line.
Court’s employee, Tyler Dewe, will drive his project horse, Ruthless Success, in the c1 trot.
"He only paid $500 for it so I thought it would give him something to drive," Court said.
The Great Success mare joined Court’s stable last month after she was previously trained by Kevin Fairbairn, and ran second to Foreverman in a quiet workout at Motukarara on July 23.
Foreverman went on to finish third to Tornado Valley at Addington last Sunday.
"It’s no world-beater by any means, but if it trots away and gets a cosy trip, it can run in the first half of the field, anyway."
