By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk
Michael House continued his dominance at Manawatu Raceway on Thursday when posting another five-win haul, while his son Wilson House wasn’t to be outdone, bookending the seven-race meeting for the stable.
The Canterbury junior reinsman kicked off the night in winning style for his father when making light work of Break Free’s 40m handicap in the Cartown Handicap Trot (2500m) to record a three-quarter of a length victory.
“He did trot really well but went a bit rough coming into the straight, but that isn’t uncommon for him, so I was expecting it a bit, and from there he trotted on really well,” Wilson House said.
He was just as pleased with his other victory of the night behind Smokin Annie in the Future Posts/Manawatu District Council Mobile Pace (2500m).
The seven-year-old daughter of Mach Three put in a gallant runner-up effort behind stablemate Trinity Star on Tuesday, with that form being franked on Thursday when Trinity Star took out the Manawatu ITM Palmerstonian Mobile Pace (2500m).
“She (Smokin Annie) went a really tough race against a really nice filly in Trinity Star, who is going on to Australia from here,” House said.
“I was quite confident going into it, as long as she backed up from Tuesday, I thought I was quite a show.”
House did the steering behind third placegetter Franco Hoffman in the Palmerstonian but was proud of Trinity Star’s winning efforts in her last New Zealand outing.
“She went a fantastic race and showed her true colours,” he said.
“Franco Hoffman had a tough run. He was really brave and did a lot of work early and late in the piece. I am pretty proud of him.”
Completing the five-win haul for the barn were Sharp Lou in the Buy Wholesale Vehicles Mobile Pace (2500m) and Taliesin in the Gattsche Construction Mobile Pace (2500m).