Jimmy Carter relished a hot pace in the 2700m feature, digging deep to hold off his stablemate Love N The Port in the group 3 feature.
At times, Jimmy Carter has produced a formline full of duck eggs through his wayward manners. But the trotter has also shown outstanding talent and consistency in other stages.
Several of the horse’s peak performances have come with Morrison in the sulky and that was certainly the case yesterday.
"The horse kept going — Phil [Williamson] must put me on when he is on song," Morrison quipped.
The reinsman was thrilled to get his first group race victory.
"It is really good — I have placed in a few — but it is good to finally get one."
Williamson puts Jimmy Carter’s previous run of mistakes down to nerves overwhelming the trotter.
But the horse stepped well enough to settle third before producing a faultless and powerful performance.
Williamson has a tilt at Auckland’s feature trotting races in autumn in mind for Jimmy Carter.
Da Vinci is also a chance to head to Auckland’s feature races after his win in the group 3 Northern Southland Cup yesterday.
The 4-year-old showed manners and poise beyond his just two starts in the intermediate-open ranks to snare his second cup victory in 10 days for trainer-driver Craig Ferguson.
Coming out of 3-year-old racing, filled with mobile starts and sprint trips, Da Vinci’s career could have been at a crossroads before his victory earlier this month in the Cromwell Cup.
But now there is little doubt the pacer is on a one-way path towards New Zealand’s top ranks.
"He has only had the two standing starts and he had begun super both times," Ferguson said.
"It has been a surprise because in the past he has been inclined to do things wrong."
Da Vinci is bred and raced by father-and-son Paul and Brendon Duffy, of Wyndham.
Paul Duffy said the win was made more special because of his long-standing association with the Northern Southland club, its president Greg Tither and its sponsors, Brent and Sheree McIntyre of Macca Lodge.
"I won my very first race at a Northern Southland meeting at Gore many years ago," Duffy said.
Dunedinite Ken Burt got a boost when Trail Boss won a hectic maiden affair on Northern Southland Cup Day.
Unlike many of his co-owners, Burt could not make the races because he was in Dunedin Hospital.
But his daughter Kirstin was certain her father would be tuned into the race on his phone from his hospital bed.
