The Brian and Shane Anderton trained 9yr-old surged down the outside of the track to beat placegetters Gallant Boy and Princess Brook to finally get his named engraved on the trophy for Otago’s biggest horse race.
Rider Shankar Muniandy was filling in for regular jockey Jacob Lowry and called on Lowry’s advice before he launched Tommy Tucker for his winning run.
“He travelled all the way, he got in a bit of a flat spot at the half mile [800m] but Jacob said he can do that every now again,” Muniandy said.
‘’But I gave him a wee flick and he just took off again.’’
Once at full pace Tommy Tucker surged down the straight to finally clinch his White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age title after running second in the two previous runnings of the race under handicap conditions.
Repaying the faith his employers had in him to take the ride on Tommy Tucker and help him crack a White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age title was a special thrill, Muniandy said.
‘’Coming through for the bosses and working for Brian and Shane for ten years, I think I have only run one second in the White Robe, it was a massive thrill.’’
The combination of trainers Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong and jockey Samantha Collett took on both of today’s listed races.
Excelleration powered to stylish win in the Dunedin Guineas and Pendleton outstayed her rivals in the Dunedin Gold Cup for the trio.
