A three-and-a-half-year wait by the Met syndicate and trainer Phil Williamson was rewarded when the 5yr-old Warder won a maiden trot first up at Washdyke yesterday.
Williamson bought Warder for $27,500 on behalf of the syndicate at the 2008 premier yearling sale and broke him in. There were high hopes for Warder, being a brother to Sovereignty (Monarchy-Lockerup), winner of the 2008 Northern Trotting Derby and Harness Jewels.
"He [Warder] had soreness issues and we couldn't find out what was wrong," Williamson said. "He was finally turned out on hill country for 18 months."
Warder came back into work this year and he qualified at Oamaru on July 17.
He is the fourth winner from five foals to race out of Lockerup. She is the dam of Sovereignty (20 wins), La Femme D'Argent (seven), The Tower (four).
Lockerup (Sundon-Lochaway) won as a trotter at Methven (when trained by Michael House) and Omakau (Clarrie Woodward).
The Williamson stable produced The Widowmaker for a fresh-up win at Addington on Friday night and won with Hezadoo Early at Ashburton the previous Sunday.
• Presidential Honour, who qualified as a pacer at Oamaru eight days earlier, won yesterday for Waimate trainer Deidre Brown, who races the 4yr-old with her partner Stephen James.
Presidential Honour is a half-brother to six winners, including Jagged Account, winner of the 2003 Thames Cup and an Interdominion heat at Alexandra Park in 2005.
Waimate stables also won yesterday with Izshebad, owned and trained by Craig Kennett. The 5yr-old mare had won her previous start at Addington on August 4.
Colin De Filippi replaced Kennett as the driver of Izshebad yesterday after the declaration of drivers.
Kennett was suspended from driving for nine months and fined $400 at a hearing at Addington on Friday night for failing to provide a urine sample. All drivers were tested at the meeting on August 4.
The Judicial Control Authority representatives ruled the suspension take effect immediately. It will expire on June 9.
Kennett only had three race drives last season. He formerly worked for De Filippi.
• Alex Veint had his first win as a reinsman when he partnered Vern's Girl yesterday. Veint (18) was having his second drive after being licensed as a junior six weeks ago. He is employed at the Leeston stables of Terry and Glenys Chmiel. Vern's Girl was having her first start from the stable and her first race for eight months.
Alex is a brother of Andrew Veint, who has 28 wins as a junior. Alex and Andrew are sons of Jim Veint, a licensed trainer with a stable at Ashburton. Jim shares the ownership of Vern's Girl with Steve and Allison Hewson, of Ashburton. Jim previously trained Vern's Girl to win two races.
• Outta Sight provided the star turn yesterday when the 3yr-old won a maiden race by nine lengths in a smart 2.27.9 for 2000m (mobile) at his third start.
He is trained at Ashburton by Rex Bennett for the Dream On syndicate. Bennett won four races with Lils Dream, the dam of Outta Sight (by Falcon Seelster). Lils Dream, who was raced by the same syndicate, had her second win at Washdyke in 2002. She has left other winners, Limerick Star and Almaza.
• Franco Jamar, now trained by Luke McCarthy, won by six lengths over a mile in 1.53.2 at Menangle on Saturday night.
McCarthy also won with Our Torias Secret, owned by Vicki Cowan, of Leeston. Our Torias Secret ran 1.55.4. Smoken Up won over 1720m (mobile) in a 1.54 rate at Melton on Friday night.
Don King (Sundon-Ashley Blossom), trained by Brent Lilley and driven by Greg Sugars, won the group three True Roman Free-For-All in a 2.01.3 rate for 2240m (mobile).
• Cullen's Creek is now in the Waiuku stable of Michelle Wallis. The winner of nine races from the stable of Tim Butt, Cullen's Creek won the Hannon Memorial at Oamaru 12 months ago. He has not raced since October after his racing was restricted to five starts last season.
