Kid Columbus gave jockey Chris Johnson (47) his third win in the race.
He was successful on Ampac in 1989 for trainers Ned Thistoll and Gayle Whitnall and the Neil Coulbeck-trained Woodbine Blue Chip in 1993.
Johnson has ridden some 1750 winners since his first win in 1981. He topped the premiership in 1995-96 with 140 wins. He was away from race riding for seven years from 1998.
His tally includes 51 wins over fences.
The Omakau-based Hamilton (63) has trained 56 winners since he switched codes in 2003. He prepared over 100 winners in the harness code and drove some 60 winners.
Hamilton shares the ownership of Kid Columbus with Russell Nieper, of Dunedin, and Pat Baker and Ivan McNicholl, of Wellington.
Nieper is the owner of Franco Emirate, the top 4yr-old pacer last season, when his wins included the Harness Jewels at Ashburton and New Zealand Messenger.
The 8yr-old Kid Columbus began hurdling last winter and it was his third win in 10 starts in the role. He has won six races on the flat since Hamilton took over his training as a 4yr-old in the autumn of 2008. Kid Columbus had then been unplaced in five starts in the Waikato area.
Kid Columbus chased the leader Borrack for much of the way yesterday and he was sharing the lead at the second-last fence with Foremost, who had the upper hand at the last. Kid Columbus stayed on well to win by three-quarters of a length.
Borrack weakened to sixth, 17 lengths from the winner.
• Jonathan Riddell has the mount on El Santo at Riccarton on Saturday.
Lisa Allpress, who rode El Santo to win on the first day of the National meeting, is at Te Rapa, where her mounts include Katie Lee in the Foxbridge Plate.
• Trainers Mel and Warwick Coles plan to back up Windwhistle in a $30,000 rating 90 race over 1600m on Saturday. Windwhistle recorded his sixth win when successful in a $10,000 rating 80 race over 1200m yesterday.
Windwhistle has been rehandicapped 2kg to 57.5kg. Warrant and Excuseable have also been rehandicapped 2kg to 56kg and 59kg for races on the third day. Super Glow, winner of the maiden hurdles has been rehandicapped 1kg to 65kg.
• Jo Rathbone tore ligaments in her shoulder in a fall from Gioarchino in the maiden steeplechase yesterday.
The injury has ruled out her riding Montezuma in the New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase on Saturday.
Rotorua apprentice Shaun Phelan was discharged from Christchurch Hospital last night after breaking his pelvis in a fall from Princesa in the maiden steeplechase yesterday.
Daniel Oakden was suspended until midnight on September 30 after he admitted that he failed to make his contracted riding weight for Morpheus and Cape Kinaveral. He has previously failed to make the weight for mounts.
Carla Donna was declared a non-runner in race 6. She had her head over the front of the gates before staff pushed her back into the right position. It was established that rider Ryan Hurdle was not in the saddle when the field was dispatched.
Starter Stephanie Payne and staff are to be interviewed at a later date in relation to the incident.
KC Walters was suspended from Sunday until midnight on August 26 for careless riding in race 5. Walters (Avid Ruler) was found to have shifted in at the 300m, causing a check to Quantum Kate.
• Trudy Thornton is back aboard Bulginbaah in the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa on Saturday. It will be his sixth attempt at the race.
Thornton has ridden Bulginbaah to win the Foxbridge Plate the past two years. He also won the race in 2006 with Jason Symes the rider, finished fourth in 2007 and second to Jacowils in 2008.
Bulginbaah is the oldest horse to win a Foxbridge Plate, as a 10yr-old last year. He is the only horse to win the race three times since it was first staged in 1970.
