Knock Off broke a two-decade winless drought for his trainer Gerard Cvitanovich when he went to Hawera on Sunday to score in the “Kelly & Rosie Myers” 1400.
The semi-retired dairy farmer had just 50 prior starts to his name for seven wins, and he was delighted to add to that tally on the weekend with a horse bred by his son.
“We just wanted to give him the run, I was quite surprised he went as well on that track. It was a great ride from Lisa Allpress,” Cvitanovich said.
“My son, Nick, bred the horse and he seems to enjoy that side of things.”
Cvitanovich grew up with horses on his family farm and has always had a passion for them, but it wasn’t until his mid-thirties that the 65-year-old horseman took out his trainer’s license.
“We did pony club and worked horses on the farm when we were young fellas. There is a lot of racing in the area we live,” he said.
“My father had racehorses and so did my grandparents, so I have drifted that way. Kevin Myers has helped us out a lot and so have a lot of other Wanganui trainers.
“I just like riding and working horses.”
Cvitanovich won six races in his first three seasons of training, and over the following two decades he has generally only had one start per season, and he was glad to gain his first win on Sunday since the 2002/03 season.
“I have had a few slow ones in the meantime,” he quipped.
“We don’t really race many. We milk cows and Nick has taken over the cows now and I have gone back to doing the horses now that I have a bit more time.
“I just have the one in work, but we also have another unraced Keano horse with Jo Rathbone.”
Cvitanovich is looking forward to racing Knock Off over winter and he is hoping his next win isn’t too far away.
“I think he would be more suited to winter racing,” he said.
“He will have a week off and then we will go quietly with him, he is a big, weak horse and we will need to nurse him through it.”
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