Homebush Lad helped trainer Greg Hope join an elite group of New Zealand horsemen to have trained 1000 winners with his Waikouaiti Cup victory yesterday.
Hope brought up the milestone when Torvi claimed yesterday’s finale, completing a winning treble for the horseman, who trains in partnership with wife Nina.
The Hopes ended the Oamaru meeting with 892 career victories, Greg having prepared 108 winners before entering into an official training partnership with Nina.
The couple’s son, Ben Hope, drove Homebush Lad to win before Torvi won to complete Greg’s 1000-race winning feat.
Ben was thrilled to help his father reach the milestone.
"It is a career highlight — 1000 is a phenomenal achievement.
"There hasn’t been many that have done it and if you look through the list of people that have done it they are champions of the sport.
"And that is what Dad is."
Nina Hope and co-owner Richard Dellaca will have to find room in Homebush Lad’s already bulging trophy cabinet after he won his second Waikouaiti Cup yesterday.
Ben gave the pacer a soft trip four back on the markers before the 11-year-old veteran charged along the inner to score.
"He is just an awesome, awesome horse, he tries so hard.
"I don’t think I have ever had a horse try so hard."
"He has won about 11 or 12 country cups which is a phenomenal achievement and to be 11-years-old and still winning them is awesome."
Homebush Lad’s two Waikouaiti Cup wins sit alongside his victories in the Westport, Geraldine, Waimate, and Motukarara Christmas cups, plus his three Reefton Cup victories.
After mixing his distances recently, the 3000m of the Waikouaiti Cup was just what the pacer needed.
"He is a stayer and suits those long distances and he hasn’t really had them," Hope said.
"He got it in the Blenheim Cup and he ran third.
"He hasn’t really had that suitable race but today he got it and he got a great trip and capitalised on it."
Yesterday’s Waikouaiti Trotters Cup was the highlight on a big day for Canterbury owners Bob and Maxine Garters.
The breeder-owners scored with Maryanne Golightly before Helloveamoment won the trotting feature.
Driver Samantha Ottley was thrilled to deliver a feature win for the Garters on their Mark Jones-trained trotter.
"They’re big supporters of the [Jones] stable and they’ve had a great day with the maiden winning."
Ottley controlled the speed in front with the 6-year-old who scored by a length and a-half.
