Arctic Ace has come out of retirement to win 10 races and over $100,000 in stakes.
The 8yr-old triumphed over a handy field in the $18,000 open 1400m yesterday.
Arctic Ace has won 10 races and gained 18 placings in 35 starts for $103,376 in stakes since he began racing from the West Melton stable of Tony and Lyn Prendergast 16 months ago.
Arctic Ace had been turned out six months earlier, his racing career seemingly over.
Waiuku trainer Moira Murdoch suggested he may be a possibility for the Prendergast stable.
Dave Morris, of Mosgiel, then took up a lease of the City On The Hill gelding.
Arctic Ace had won four races and gained seven placings in 23 starts for $27,960 when trained by Murdoch.
"He [Arctic Ace] has never been off the place and has only had little breaks of up to 10 days," Tony Prendergast said.
A $40,000 open 1400m on the third day of the Grand National meeting is the next assignment for Arctic Ace.
Faaltless did best of six Winter Cup hopefuls with a strong run for second to Arctic Ace.
Zman, Zukifli, the rider of Yanna Marie, lost his whip near the 200m and his left iron closer to the winning post.
Steffan Lockie rode Big Red to win yesterday after a break of about two years from race riding.
Lockie served his apprenticeship with Paul Harris at Rangiora and Brent Hrstich at Trentham.
He rode Oxborough Castle to win the listed Easter Cup at Riccarton in 2003 for trainer Danny Frye.
"I made a brief comeback to riding about two years ago when I was working for Graeme Rogerson but I was having a struggle with a lot of things and shifted to Australia," Lockie said.
Lockie (26) rode work for John O'Shea in Sydney before shifting to Christchurch a few months ago.
His licence renewal was approved on Friday.
K. C. Walters was fined $200 when he weighed in over 0.5kg light for Gufi who was unplaced in race 3.
Andrew Calder was suspended until midnight next Sunday for careless riding at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Calder, riding Amirar in the Taumarunui Cup, admitted shifting in on Waitui Music in the early stages, crowding Strapped For Cash.
Larry Cassidy has joined Mick Dittman and Brian York as the winners of both the Sydney and Brisbane jockeys' premierships.
Cassidy rode a winner at Doomben on Saturday to share the premiership with Stathi Katsidis on 72 wins.
