A mare by Telperion, Go Lotte had been restricted to 1200m in her last three starts and was well-weighted in the race, carrying just 51kg in the hands of apprentice jockey Abdul Najib.
Riviera Rebel started favourite at $3.40. The gelding settled in midfield while Zadane powered to the front to set up a strong tempo.
Go Lotte and stablemate King Of The Castle travelled five lengths adrift of the leader, and, passing the 600m, Najib pressed on to sit outside of the Zadane and hit the front early in the straight. The gusty mare pinned her ears back and kept finding, holding off a charging The Hangover and Adiktiv Passion to score by a long neck.
Tyler was rapt with the performance.
"I had this race targeted probably for the last six weeks, it’s the only race that really suited her and the 1200m has just been far too short," he said.
"Back up to her favourite distance around that 1500m-1600m, with a bit of cut in the track, it was a great effort.
"At 1200, they are sharper horses and she’s been struggling a bit early, but she’s got up there easily today and the young fella rode her really well.
"With three kilos off her back, which she always loves, I thought she would be tough to beat really."
Tyler is not ruling out a trip to Riccarton Park for next Saturday’s group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes over 1600m.
"We may see how that fillies and mares race stacks up at Riccarton, with a bit of rain about the track may be bit off and she could be a chance," he said.
"I’ll see how strong the noms are and take it from there."
Bought by Tyler for just $1500 at the 2020 national yearling sales, Go Lotte has earned over $185,000 in stakes with nine wins and 15 minor placings from 53 starts.
• Southern reinswomen showed off their skills in sweeping the harness racing programme at yesterday’s dual-code meeting at Wingatui.
Harness racing historians were sent scrambling when women drove the winners of each of the four races on the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s card.
The accomplishment is not thought to have been completed in New Zealand harness racing previously.
Kerryn Tomlinson started their winning run when driving Don’t Look Kobe to victory in race 1.
Then to notch just the second career victory of her short career, Georgia Goodman produced a well-judged front-running drive to win race 2 with Itsallaboutthemoney.
Fellow junior driver Mia Holbrough found clear air up the rising Wingatui straight for Normie Stead who burst between runners late to win race 3.
Dunedin-born horsewoman Kirstin Green sealed the clean sweep on her home patch when Bismark Du Plessis cleared out to win race 4.
Most appropriately, the accomplishment came on the final day of New Zealand harness racing’s team teal campaign.
Each reinswoman wore teal-coloured driving pants as a part of the campaign which raises funds for ovarian cancer research.
Harness Racing New Zealand, the host club and each driver’s sponsors donate funds to the cause during the campaign.
Tomlinson was a team teal ambassador and wore team colours throughout the fundraising effort. — LOVERACING.NZ News Desk / Jonny Turner
By Jess de Lautour
