Waikato horseman Dylan Ferguson went home a happy man from Cambridge Raceway on Saturday.
The stable foreman for trainer Graeme Rogerson secured a winning treble for his employer, while also reining home a treble himself.
“It was a great day, they all raced really well and we managed to bag a few winners,” Ferguson said.
Rogerson’s treble was highlighted by She Reigns’ impressive 5-3/4 length victory in the Marcoola Standing At Nevele R Stud Handicap Trot (2700m).
The daughter of Monarchy began like a bullet from her 30m back mark to settle midfield for Ferguson.
He asked her to improve three-wide with 350m to go and she made light work of her rivals in the straight to win untouched.
“She was the class horse of the field,” Ferguson said. “She is a little bit funny with her manners sometimes, but when she is on the ball like that she is a lovely mare and has plenty of speed.
“She is in a hard grade at Auckland. Last start they ran a New Zealand record. She is always running good times, but she is just in a really hard grade up there.
“She certainly benefited from the big drop in company and it was a good confidence booster for her.
“That was a penalty free win today which is what we have been aiming for a while now.”
A return trip to Cambridge Raceway may be in the offing for She Reigns with Alexandra Park currently under COVID-19 alert level 3 restrictions.
“Our plans are little bit up in the air in the short-term with whether we can race at Auckland,” Ferguson said.
“She is in a hard grade so she is not going to win out of turn, but she tries hard and is always going to be thereabouts.
“She just strikes some pretty hot fields at times, but she is a nice mare and a pleasure to have in the stable.”
The race prior Ferguson was once again in the winner’s circle with High Point who won the Woodlands Stud Mobile Pace (2200m) by three-quarters of a length over Eagle Watch.
“She went great,” Ferguson said. “She had been working up well at home and had that fitness run a couple of weeks ago at Auckland, so I was confident that she would go well.
“I thought she would win in the first set of fields because she had drawn one.
“I was a bit devastated that she drew one the second row, but it’s not very often you get a run like that from four back the fence.”
Earlier on the card it was Ferguson’s father Peter’s turn to carry Rogerson’s silks to victory behind Romanee in the Lonestar Alexandra Park – Now Open Mobile Pace (2200m).
“It was good for Dad to get a winner for us,” Ferguson said. “He has been trying on a few of them. He is a big asset to our stable, he is always there if we need a hand. It was a good team effort.”
While he was beaten into fourth in that race with Sunset Red, Ferguson wasn’t to be outdone and recorded a treble himself when reining home El Questro to win the Join The Breeders Mobile Pace (2200m) for trainer Rod MacKenzie.
“He had been working up really well, Rod fast works him at Graeme’s,” he said.
“It was good for Rod to get a win with him because he has caused him plenty of headaches, so it was good to chalk one up on the board early with him.” – Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
