Middle-grade pacer Six Diamonds proved he was on track for the South’s coming country cup races with a scintillating finish to win at Ascot Park on Saturday.
Driver Brad Williamson plotted a perfect path from last at the 300m to win the Invercargill programme’s feature pace with the Alister Black-trained gelding.
Once into the clear, Six Diamonds charged along the markers to run down Ossessione and give Black the race 10 quinella.
Ossessione’s runner-up effort came on a good day for his driver, Matt Purvis.
The Ryal Bush junior reinsman bookended the programme by steering Miss Moppet to win race 1 and Born To Run to win race 11.
Both were prepared by Purvis’s employer, Nathan Williamson.
Miss Moppet dashed away for an easy four-length victory in her third race start.
Born To Run charged home wide out after tracking the favourite, Please Shuddup, into the race.
Two Canterbury raiders put themselves in contention for bigger Southland targets with impressive wins on Saturday.
Nota Bene Denario put back-to-back wins together with a five-length demolition of his rivals in race 7.
Catch-driver Brent Barclay was impressed with the feel the Terry and Glenys Chmiel-trained 3yr-old gave him.
"He’s pretty versatile. He went up and led today, but he did knock off a bit. He’s still learning."
Fellow Canterbury-trained 3yr-old Shebang took more spoils north by justifying her $1.20 tote favouritism in race 2.Driver Dexter Dunn gave those who took the Gavin Smith-trained filly’s short odds little to worry about, positioning her in front and out of trouble, before going on to win easily.
The win also justified Smith’s high opinion of the Auckland Reactor filly.
He rates in the top bracket of her age.
"After she got third in the Sires’ Stakes heat I could have taken her to Auckland but I decided to look after her," he said.
"She’s in the top 10 but not the top five. When Scarlett Banner was 3 I took her to Auckland. They ran 2.36.9 and it knocked her."
Ardtoo’s win two races later gave former superstar racehorse Auckland Reactor a siring double on the programme.
The Russell Ferguson trained 3yr-old became Auckland Reactor’s sixth individual winner in New Zealand.
Three generations combined to win the feature trot, race 3.
Ellie Barron drove Mass Invasion to victory for her father, Clark, who trains the 7yr-old.
The horse is bred and raced by Ellie’s grandfather, Owen Crooks, the former Jaccka Lodge studmaster.
— Jonny Turner, Additional reporting NZ Harness News
