by Jonny Turner
The Hydroflow Winter Rewards Final at Addington on Thursday night went from disastrous to triumphant for Aint No Angel.
It was a hard watch for backers of the mare who was caught wide with trainer-driver Brad Williamson for most of the first lap of the event
But some assertive driving from Williamson turned his charge’s fortunes completely around as she went on to produce a great staying performance to win.
“It looked like I was going to be able to slot into a really nice spot in the running line, but she was a bit keen to roll and she wouldn’t quite come back to me,” Williamson said.
“If it was any other horse I probably would have got in and waited til the speed came out of the race before getting around them.”
“But we ended up pushing forward, you don’t want to be unlucky when the money is up and it was a great effort from the mare.”
Despite working hard, Aint No Angel fought on bravely to win in what was clearly the fastest time of Thursday night’s 2600m Winter Rewards Finals, showing off her big staying motor in the process.
“She is a lovely mare and she has had a wee bit of bad luck lately,” Williamson said.
“We were trying to get her to peak tonight and it is great that it all worked out.”
Aint No Angel is raced by the Oturehua (Central Otago) group of breeder-owners Neville Armstrong, Rusty Neville and Kim and Mary Heaney.
The group are two-from-two with Williamson after selling Aint No Angel’s older half-brother Ronaldo a few seasons ago.
“They are a great bunch of owners,” Williamson said.
“The first horse they sent to me came to me when Rory McIlwrick went away with the wind and went on a bit of an O.E.”
“He sent me Ronaldo as an early two-year-old.”
“He was a really nice horse and we sold him for good money.”
“For that reason they sent me Aint No Angel and she has been a nice horse right the way through.”
There was more to celebrate for the Williamson family at Addington’s big night of racing on Thursday night.
Jimmy Carter continued a sparkling run of winter form when taking out the Airpark Canterbury Winter Rewards Trot.
The Phil Williamson trained trotter worked around the field in the middle stages to sit parked before toughing out an impressive win for driver Matthew Williamson.
Galleons Ambassador took a similar route when also proving too tough in the XCM Sport Winter Rewards Trot for trainer-driver John Morrison.
Franco Hoffman, Sophia Bromac and Takemybreathaway also triumphed in Winter Rewards Finals on Thursday night, all at double figure odds.
