By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
North Canterbury trainer Tom Bamford is eyeing up more success at Blenheim this week after a training double at Nelson yesterday.
Stable star Rakero Rocket and Light Me Up both won at Richmond Park to give the young trainer four wins from just seven starts so far in 2025.
For Rakero Rocket it was his fourth win in his last six starts, highlighted by victory in the first ever Group 1 Christian Cullen at Addington in December.
“He’s exceeded expectations,” says Bamford, “to win on Cup Day (Garrards Mobile Pace) I thought that would be the highlight of the year and then he came out and beat the Merlins and Don’t Stop Dreamings and Charlie Browns and the Cup horses in the Christian Cullen.”
“He’s come a long way and hopefully he can keep improving.”
Now Bamford is now thinking about the biggest race of them all.
“The main target is the New Zealand Cup. That’s the only real concrete plan and we will work back from there.”
The road to the Cup could include the likes of the $1m The Race at Cambridge in April, and/or the Messenger and the Taylor Mile.
“It’s pretty exciting just potentially thinking about being in these big races.”
Yesterday Rakero Rocket was sent to the front by driver Gavin Smith in the day’s feature pace, the Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Classic (1609m), controlled the tempo and then skipped away to win by over a length.
The win followed a second off 30 metres in Friday’s Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Cup behind Xlendi.
While Rakero Rocket is now headed for a well earned break stablemate Light Me Up will be back in action on the grass at Waterlea Raceway this weekend after his Nelson win.
In the Brown and Associates/ Anchor Restaurant and Bar Mobile Pace the Bettor’s Delight four-year-old got the perfect run in the trail behind Shannon B who paced a bit roughly in the run home as Light Me Up and Blair Orange scooted up the passing lane to win narrowly.
It followed a second on the opening day on Friday.
“They were two credible runs, it’s hard to be to be fresh up and then back up with a win two days later.”
“He’ll run the second day at Blenheim (Sunday).”
He’ll be joined up north by four stablemates including the in-form Ebury Street, Rakero Chase, Midnight Babe, and Gem N Em.
“Ebury Street is a wee marvel, she’s still the GP (galloping pace marker) at home,” says Bamford, “but you know what they say about a mare in form.”
The six-year-old has won four of her last five starts, and eight overall.
“She’s been airborne.”
Other highlights yesterday included Nellie Doyle and Follow Your Dream going back to back for driver Blair Orange after winning on Friday, as did Knowing Me for the trainer/driver combo of Margo Nyhan and Peter Davis.
Nellie Doyle’s win was Tim Trathen’s 50th training success, his first also coming at Nelson with Seafield Kent in 1992.
