Trainer Michael Pitman, who won four races at Cromwell on Sunday, has the material to continue in a winning vein at Ashburton today.
Leading jockey Lisa Allpress is making the trip from Wanganui to ride Eleanor Coup, Draconic, Conscious Mistake, Coup Catbird, and Rosa for the Pitman stable.
Allpress rode Draconic to a last-start win at the New Zealand Cup meeting when Eleanor Coup finished third.
Conscious Mistake has not raced since he won as a 2yr-old at Ashburton in March. He won a trial at Ashburton last month.
Rosa, who has not raced for six months, won a maiden race at Riccarton in April. She ran second in a trial at Motukarara last month.
• Mike Godber, the former chief executive officer for Addington Raceway, has been appointed operations manager for new integrity unit of New Zealand racing. Godber will take up his appointment on January 17.
"I'm looking forward to doing my bit to establish the RIU. It's an exciting development for racing and demonstrates the industry's determination to work together and bring about improvements in the way the Rules of Racing are policed," Godber said.
He has some 30 years' experience in both the New Zealand and Australian racing industries. He was a secretary for the New Zealand Racing Authority before he was appointed chief executive at Addington Raceway in 1990. He oversaw its transformation into an entertainment venue.
He was appointed chief executive of Harness Racing Queensland in 2008, a post he held until July this year when he took up the interim CEO post at the South Australian Harness Racing Club.
• Results of the main trials at Wanganui yesterday:
Weather, cloudy; track good (3).
Open, 1000m: Tai Chi Queen R Myers 1; Dawson Falls 2; Manet 3. Three started. Hd, 4L. Time, 58.85. Trainer, M Breslin.
Open, 1200m: Can't Keeper Down J Riddell 1; The Sting 2; My Cool Jo 3. Five started. 3/4L, 2 1/4L. Time, 1.12.83. Trainer, L Latta.
