White Robe Lodge horseman Jack Stewart bagged an early wedding present with some help from an old friend at Wingatui yesterday.
Stewart, who works alongside his father, Wayne, who is the studmaster at the North Taieri Stud, races Out Of The Park with Waikato Stud’s business manager, Mike Rennie.
Out Of The Park produced a big finish to win race 7 for trainer Robert Dennis and rider Jacob Lowry.
The victory came just days after Stewart and Rennie bought the mare on online auction website Gavelhouse.
"We both always liked her and we always wanted an Ocean Park mare, so I thought let’s try to get her and race her somewhere easier.
"When she came up on Gavelhouse I said to Mike, ‘I might have a crack at that mare’.
"He said, ‘you will have to outbid me’, so I said we might as well go in together."
Rather having Out Of The Park trained at White Robe Lodge, Stewart sent her to the Woodlands stable of Robert Dennis.
Stewart was not anticipating any hard feelings at work this morning after his horses beat Melanite and Wardofthestate, who are trained at the stud by his grandfather, Brian Anderton, and uncle, Shane Anderton.
"Granddad was full up and I have a lot of horses at his place," Stewart said.
"Robert and I are good mates. He is a trainer that I rate and he does a great job with the horses that he has.
"Mike and I bought her as a broodmare, but we thought we would try to win some races first."
Out Of The Park’s win served as an early wedding present for Stewart.
He will marry his partner, Emma McAllister, next weekend.
Rennie will be able to toast the newlyweds and celebrate his win when he attends.
Out Of The Park Powered home down the outer for a two-length victory for Lowry.
The way the 5yr-old powered to the line suggested to Dennis the mare could step up to races further than yesterday’s 1600m maiden event.
"I think she will be better with more ground. She took a while to pull up and we might try her over 2000m," the trainer said.
"She had a bad draw, but she has the speed to put herself there. It was a beautiful ride from Jake and she was just too good for them."
Dennis said Out Of The Park could return to Wingatui to race on Boxing Day.
