By Jonny Turner
Insarchatwist upstaged her younger siblings when cruising to victory in the Gore Town and Country Club Gore Summer Cup yesterday.
The eight-year-old sped through underneath her brother Hacksaw Ridge, with the pair sealing a quinella in the feature event for trainer Ricky Gutsell and his racing partners Neil and Eualie Thwaites.
The trio had already produced a significant accomplishment before the standing start tapes were released in the Gore Summer Cup.
The quinella pairing of Insarchatwist and Hacksaw Ridge were joined in the 2750m feature by another full sibling in Still Rockin.
Between them, the three brothers and sisters have produced 24 wins for Gutsell and the Thwaites, with the Gore Summer Cup the latest addition to their list of successes.
“You just about have to pinch yourself with the results we have had with the breed,” Gutsell said, “to have three full siblings in a cup race, I don’t think that would have been done too many times before.”
“To get the quinella was a huge thrill.”
Gutsell and the Thwaites secured their trio’s dam Insar when she was being advertised as free to a good home around ten years ago.
The broodmare has since been retired from breeding, after leaving a half-sister to her Gore Summer Cup trio in Baltic Star who raced in race 2 at Gore.
Eastern Southland trainers enjoyed a great day out on their home patch yesterday.
Tony Stratford produced Rakavenom and Tuneinsportsfans to win at his home track, with visiting reinsman Robbie Close combining with both pacers.
Gore pacer Captain Starlight continued his form resurgence when backing up his victory at Winton last week when scoring in a harder grade on his home track for trainer Allan McVicar
Imperial Man ended a frustrating run of form with a powerful display earlier in the programme for Gore trainer John Ryan.
The six-year-old had made costly mistakes in his prior two starts back from a spell.
Though the trotter was a little shaky in his gait early, driver Rory McIlwrick helped Imperial Man hold himself together before the pair produced a powerful winning burst from last.
“He takes himself out of that early piece, you can’t do anything with him,” McIlwrick said, “but he was explosive today. John had him on the money for the big day at Gore and we were rapt.”
Yesterday’s trotting feature, the Kim McDowall Painting and Decorating Gore Summer Trotters Cup was taken out by Hidden Talent.
The classy mare made it a hat-trick of wins when charging home from off the pace to win in a track record-breaking time for trainer-driver Nathan Williamson.
