Treble for local trainers

Dr Luk Chin’s Tamahere private training property produced a winning treble at Cambridge Raceway on Sunday.

The Waikato horseman won the Happy 40th Glenn Wallis Handicap Trot (2200m) with Safrakova, while his namesake Chinski took out the Book Event Hire Furniture At Cambridge Raceway Handicap Trot (2200m) for trainer-driver Sean McCaffrey.

McCaffrey secured the treble when steering home Bodrum Boy to victory in the Black Dog Furniture Shop Local Mobile Pace (2200m) for trainer John Godfrey, who also utilises Chin’s private track.

McCaffrey was rapt to secure Chinski’s third career win, despite the three-year-old gelding still doing a bit wrong.

“He has just got to behave himself and even today he didn’t,” McCaffrey said. 

“He won his first couple of races as a two-year-old and then he had the bit break on him one day down in Christchurch and he has thought it has been a nightmare at the races ever since.

“He just needs to settle down. At home he is like a nine-year-old, everybody can drive him, but as soon as he goes to the races he shakes and shivers and thinks something is going to run him over.

“He is going to get there. He was trotting today and then lost concentration looking at someone in the balcony of The Clubhouse.

“He is just too smart for his own good.”

Chinski has pleased McCaffrey with his development and he thinks the son of Peak has a bright future ahead of him.

“When you go to the trials, when nothing is happening, he never does a thing wrong,” McCaffrey said.

“He has had a lot more starts than he probably should of, but we are just taking him to the races to show him that it is no big deal there.

“He probably could have won any one of his last nine starts.”

McCaffrey was also pleased for Chin and Godfrey with their respective wins on Sunday, and picking up a driving double with Bodrum Boy.

“He has been working super and he actually should have won the heat when he qualified, but he has had two trials since lockdown and he won both of them relatively easy, he has got a bit of speed,” McCaffrey said.

“He has been a while getting to the races with one thing and another, but he is sound as a bell now and he is away.

“It was a good effort from John because he has persevered with him and it’s been a while since he has had a winner.

“He does a good job with them out on the farm and brings them in to fastwork with us.

“John deserves every bit of glory he gets. The phone nearly burnt off in his hand with everyone in Roto-O-Rangi ringing him to congratulate him.” – Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk