The spoils of the Forbury Park 4 & 5yr-old championship will stay in Otago after Ballindooley upset his rivals in the 2700m race at Forbury Park last night.
The son of Sands A Flyin swooped from near the rear of the field to down fellow Otago pacer Better To Be Bad by half a length in the $25,000 group 3 feature, putting smiles on the faces of Westwood Beach trainers Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman.
Anderson has been impressed by the 5yr-old gelding's ability to hold his form of late, having won three of his past four starts prior to last night.
Anderson and co-trainer Amber Hoffman got Ballindooley off Canterbury trainer Tim Butt after the horse suffered injuries following four starts as a 3yr-old in 2011.
''He's always had ability. He had two bowed tendons, that's why he came to us,'' Anderson said.
Ballindooley won at his first start in the Anderson-Hoffman colours at Ascot Park in September but, as Anderson said, ''things didn't go his way for a while.
''We freshened him up. He's come back and he's been great.''
The Southern Country Cups final at Ascot Park on April 21 is the gelding's next aim. Anderson rates the horse's all-round game as he looks to the future.
''He's got that good turn of speed and he's good-gaited,'' Anderson said.
''It's a great result for the boys. It's a great syndicate and it's great to have the prize pack at home again.''
The Essemdee syndicate, which races Ballindooley, previously raced Snow Fella in the early 1990s, syndicate manager Maurice Lock said.
''There is six of us still in the syndicate - we started with 10 back in the old days,'' he said.
''Everybody's virtually based in Invercargill and surrounds except for Steve Pulley who's domiciled up here nowadays.
''We had Snow Fella back in the 1990s and he won 10 for us. It's great to have a horse like this again.''
Favourite Franco Ledger, who finished third in the feature, will require a vet clearance before racing again after pulling up with a slow recovery rate.
Mullingar Mac hopefully provided the Highlanders with an omen before the side's game against the Brumbies tonight, when the son of Road Machine won the 2200m claimers' mobile pace.
The 8yr-old is raced by the Sue Ping syndicate which includes Highlanders flanker John Hardie among others, while Highlanders prop Jamie Mackintosh is also in the ownership.
Occidental was claimed for $2000 by Washdyke trainer Trevor Harkness after finishing fourth in the claiming event.
