Southerner bags Greymouth Cup
Jack and Jo-Ann Gordon’s lengthy road trip from Invercargill to Greymouth with veteran stayer The Gordonian has proven to be worth every kilometre.
The Ascot Park trainers were rewarded with a convincing fivelength win in the $25,000 Recreation Hotel Greymouth Cup at Omoto on Saturday.
The eight-year-old son of Remind, who was clearly the most comfortable in the heavy 11 going, brought up win eight at start 60.
Just six runners headed to the starting gates and it soon became a three-horse race between favourite Kaharau, Thursday’s Reefton Cup winner Overtheriver and The Gordonian.
In the hands of apprentice Gosen Jogoo, The Gordonian found another gear in the straight and bolted away to win with ease as his rivals struggled in the heavy going.
Kaharau battled on for second with Overtheriver a further one-anda-quarter lengths behind in third.
Whanganui trainer Kevin Myers, who dominated the opening day of the West Coast circuit with five wins at Reefton on Thursday, picked up three wins with Van Gogh, Tiebreaker, both ridden by Sarah MacNab, and Jonquil in the hands of Terry Moseley.
MacNab also rode Two Thirty to victory for Byerley Park trainers Shaun and Emma Clotworthy to give her three winners for the day.
The Clotworthys picked up a second training win with Brilleaux.
Jockeys wore black armbands in the final race of the day as a mark of respect to their former colleague Rebecca Black, who died from injuries suffered in a race fall at Gore late last year.
Point Proven, the horse Black was riding when the fatal fall occurred, made its first return to the races in the last of the day at the Greymouth Jockey Club meeting. The West Coast circuit continues with Hokitika on Wednesday and finishes at the iconic Kumara course on Saturday.