By Jonny Turner
Two great mates from Wyndham completed their climb to the top of New Zealand harness racing with Marketplace’s sensational win in the Group 1 Woodlands Stud Sires Stakes Series Final on New Zealand Cup Day.
Marketplace proved himself to be a class above New Zealand’s two-year-old colts and geldings with his powerful winning performance for trainer Regan Todd and driver Craig Ferguson.
Todd and Ferguson followed the same path into the harness racing industry, growing up in Wyndham and jumping the Menzies College fence to go and work horses at Young Quinn Raceway, before going on to employment with trainer Brendon ‘Snow’ McLellan.
Fast forward around 15 years later and the pair combined for arguably the win of New Zealand Cup Day in an elite Group 1 event.
As thrilling as it was to win, completing the feat with Todd made it doubly special for Ferguson.
“To get my first Group One with Regan is extra special, you could probably see on TV after the race I was getting a bit emotional,” the reinsman said.
“Regan was a few years older than me so we weren’t school friends but he kicked around with one of my cousins and I got to know him through the game and through working at Snow’s.”
“When I started bringing my horses up to Christchurch we would stay at Regan’s and that is where the friendship has grown from really.”
“He brings horses south and stays with me, so we actually end up spending a fair bit of time together during the year.”
Ferguson and Marketplace have formed something of a rare partnership considering the driver is based in Southland and the horse is with Todd in Canterbury.
But after getting a feel for the pacer earlier in his career on a trip south, Ferguson wasn’t letting him out of his sights.
“When he came down south early on he was green but he gave me the feel of a really nice horse.”
“At the time I thought this is the sort of horse I could win a Group One race with, so I tried to stick with him.
“I am just grateful Regan and the owners have given me the opportunity.”
Ferguson blasted Marketplace forward early in his Group 1 assignment, with the two-year-old working hard to find the lead.
The reinsman then elected to take cover behind Rubira and Blair Orange at the bell, a move that may have raised a few eyebrows on a red-hot favourite.
But when Marketplace dashed along the inner for his big win, he proved his driver had got his calculations spot on.
“He came out of the gate hard, Regan had been pretty happy with him during the week, so I thought we would drive him like the best horse in the race.
“I knew he would have to burn hard and to his credit, he has stuck on.”
While Ferguson knew what he had in front of him, Todd was watching on nervously from the sidelines.
The trainer admitted he was sceptical about Marketplace’s chances after he burnt so hard to find the early lead.
“That was unreal after that lead time, I thought he was history but he’s a super horse,” Todd said.
“He had every reason to get beat today but he showed how good he is.”
“It is just unbelievable.”
“It is hard to put into words, it is just such a special moment.”
Marketplace’s brilliant performance handed a Group 1 breeding win to northern commentator George Simon and his wife Maryanne who own the pacer’s dam Cullen Who with Tony Barron, Gordon McKenzie, Tony Clark and Michelle Scanlon.
The group purchased the mare from Dunedin breeder-owners Kevin and Patricia Court after she won her first race as a three-year-old.
