Tapper is the fifth trainer to win a race with Unique Star, raced by breeders Peter and Beryl Boag, of Christchurch.
The Sundon-Unique Black Magic gelding won his second start at Waterlea in June, 2006 when trained by David and Catherine Butt. Unique Star subsequently won two races for John Versteeg, eight for Mark Jones and three from Peter and Leonne Jones.
Unique Star was having his 105th start yesterday. He had not been successful since the corresponding meeting last year.
• Unico Dash won impressively yesterday when having his first start.
Unico Dash tangled at the 1500m and dropped out to the rear.
He is a 4yr-old by Dream Away from Butler's Dash, trained by Greg and Nina Hope for Unique Leasing Ltd, operated by breeder Phil Messina.
The stable also won with Carpet Bagger, owned by Mark Jones and Grant Hatton. The Hopes have won 52 races this season.
• Ratlock was first past the post for the first time yesterday.
He was promoted to first in his other win at Motukarara in January.
He is trained by Phil Burrows for breeder Gavin Hampton, the 86-year-old former horseman who trained until 2005.
Hampton trained and drove the good pacing winner Radiant Globe in the early 1970s.
Ratlock is one of three foals Hampton has bred from Soky's Okay, who won three races when trained by Burrows.
• Quick Turn credited Karitane owner-breeder Barrie Barber with his third winner in recent weeks when successful yesterday at his second start.
Barber has also won races with El Castro and Eve's Apple. Barber and Michael Chin, of Christchurch, race Quick Turn and El Castro.
Quick Turn is a 3yr-old half-brother to Quick Flow (1.54.1).
• Franco Nelson won the Breeders' Crown heat for 2yr-old pacers and Onlyforyou won the heat for 2yr-old fillies yesterday.
Onlyforyou gave trainer Cran Dalgety and driver Dexter Dunn their fifth heat win in the past four days.
• Allan Beck, the Winton trainer, has been ordered to pay $7170 costs after an unsuccessful appeal to the Judicial Control Authority.
Beck appealed a $10,000 fine and costs of $500 after he admitted a charge of administering a prohibited substance, Aminorex, to Call Of Duty, who returned a positive test after finishing second at Invercargill in September.
The JCA representatives Bruce Squire QC and Tim Gresson dismissed the appeal against the penalty and reserved the decision on costs.
Beck has been ordered to pay costs of $5000 to the JCA and $2170 to Harness Racing New Zealand in regard to the appeal.
"We did not think there was any merit in the appeal," stated the finding.
