Two days before the big guns gather at Cambridge for the Harness Jewels, a win by Bettordean is a reminder of the simple pleasures a regular win can give a family.
The 4yr-old held on to win the first heat of the winter sprint series at Forbury Park last night, giving the Sinnamon family another reason to celebrate after a great - yet frustrating - couple of months.
Family patriarch Lionel Sinnamon, of Poolburn, prepared Caesar Rocks to win at Forbury Park in late April, and looked set to add another win when Bullys Princess was in front two weeks ago, only for the race to get called off after a horse fell.
Last night, it was the turn of son Graham and his wife, Dianne, who share in the breeding and ownership of Bettordean.
"Lionel has had horses for about 65 years and in the last 10 starts, we've had a couple of firsts, four seconds and winning with this fella,'' Graham Sinnamon said.
"Forbury is a really nice place for us to come because the kids all went to high school down here and Ben is still at school [at Otago Boys' High School]. The whole family come out. We make a night of it.
"It's not the Jewels but it might as well be for us.''
The Sinnamons bought the mare Panodoll off Clark Barron and the late Alex McDonald to try to improve their breed.
"It was a mare who was well enough related and we got it because she was one too many mares for them.''
Iodean, a 3yr-old half-sister by Grinfromeartoear, has had five starts, and Allandale - a rising 2yr-old colt - is by Gotta Go Cullect.
Panodoll is in foal to Meadowlands Pace winner He's Watching. Sinnamon said there was an unusual reason why he went for that sire over three others.
"I had a shortlist of about four and in the end I chose him, because the picture of him had my curling club's [Poolburn's] colours on him. If [the resulting foal] wins, it's as dumb as that.''
But wins like last night's victory with Bettordean - the second in his career for Roxburgh trainers Geoff and Jude Knight - keep the Sinnamons returning to the track.
"Horse owners are the worst kind of optimists,'' Sinnamon said, chuckling.
The Knights also trained Poppa Don to win the c1 trot for their employee, Genevieve "Minnie'' Crawford and her boyfriend, Locky May.
● The drums were beating for Gotta Del prior to his debut at Forbury Park, and those beats were right on the tempo judging by his stylish win last night.
The Tony Barron-trained 4yr-old had not been seen in public since last September, although that was more by accident rather than design, stable representative Maruia Parker said.
"He's been in work for a wee while.
"He didn't get any trials or workouts with them not being on at home due to not enough numbers. He's done a bit at home, but he's still pretty green,'' Parker said.
The son of Gotta Go Cullect is owned and bred by Ian Hunter, of Redan, east of Wyndham.
● Cimarron ended his short stint with Waimate trainer Wayne Low on a high, winning the first heat of the winter claimers series.
Low took over the training from Steve Allen of Oamaru from mid-April, and employed the skills of junior driver Darren Keast to win last night's race at odds of 40 to 1.
Cimarron was claimed by Craig Smith of Christchurch for $1500, and Laughing Cavalier was claimed by Grant Milne, of Dunedin, for $7500.
