By Michael Guerin
The richest win of Regan Todd’s training career wasn’t about the money.
Sure, it helps Todd owns 10 per cent of Marketplace, the wonderful two-year-old who set Addington alight winning the $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million on Friday night.
But the cash influx Todd will share with the other owners wasn’t what had him buzzing after the race.
“I was thrilled to see him do it like that, to be so tough and brave,” said Todd.
“At the 600m I thought he might be in trouble but he came away like a really good horse.
“That is what we thought he was so to stand up and prove it was very satisfying.”
Todd was also stoked it was also the biggest win in the career of driver Craig Ferguson, who he has been mates with half his life.
“We used to work for Brendan McLellan together for two Wyndham boys to be winning on the big stage together is very special.
“A lot of people probably don’t realise we have been mates for so long because while I am 36 and Craig is 32, he looks 18,” he laughed.
And the win means even more because Todd has had Marketplace since he was bought at the yearling sales.
“I have had him since day dot and that means a lot. It is great to have a horse like this who can take you places and show people that you know what you are looking at the yearling sales.”
Marketplace was three wide early but Ferguson didn’t panic, allowing him to keep sliding forward to get the lead but the attackers were soon on the scene yet he still cruised away at the 100m mark.
He is a very, very good horse and it is hard to make a case many of those behind him can beat him in the Sires’ Stakes at Addington on Cup Day, with maybe northern Captain Sampson his biggest danger.
Todd, who was also full of praise for the job Robbie Close and Blair Orange have both done helping educate Marketplace at the trials, now have a small issue with the son of Bettors Delight.
“He can’t start in the last Sires’ Stakes heat so I will have to try and find him another lead-up race to the Final. But if I can’t I’ll just keep the work up to him and maybe take him to the Cup trials.”
On a night of dazzling wins Chase A Dream’s victory in the $100,000 Canprint Flying Stakes was very similar to Marketplace’s victory.
He was trapped three wide early but Orange, like Fergsuon, didn’t panic and he strolled to the front in the middle stages and bolted clear in what was a great training performance, predominantly from Nathan Purdon.
It threw down the gauntlet to his rivals in The Velocity and the NZ Derby, although arch rival Cold Chisel had an excuse, his tyre coming off the sulky wheel rim at the 400m.
The driver who piloted Chase A Dream to his Sires’ Stakes win on Cup Day last year, Olivia Thornley, recorded another major age group success when Winelight passing-laned Without You in the NZB Standardbred Harness Million two-year-old fillies pace, giving trainer Hayden Cullen his biggest win since going out of his own.
Republican Party was a brave winner of the main handicap pace, the Get Your Cup Tickets Now at addington.co.nz Handicap Pace, welcoming driver Carter Dalgety back from the United States, with Don’t Stop Dreaming a late closing third.
Earlier Zachary Butcher won two of the other features when training Mantra Blue to a sharp sprinting victory in the Woodlands Stud Mares’ Classic while Meant To Be was all muscle and strength downing stablemate Higher Power in the juvenile NZB Standardbred Harness Million Trot.
But the trotting performance of the night had to go to Bet N Win who arrived in open class with a bang when he led throughout in the Group3 Dancinginthedark M Canterbury Park Trotting Cup.
The four-year-old showed beautiful manners to step quickly from his 10m mark and once in front Bob Butt dictated the tempo before he trotted his last 800m in 55.9 seconds, appearing to have at least one, maybe two, gears left.
The win saw him promoted to third favourite for the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot on Tuesday, November 12 as he continues his march toward one day replacing our ageing or retired elite trotters, although Muscle Mountain’s fourth from his 20m handicap had plenty of merit.
Bet N Win, Mystic Max and Love N The Port all guaranteed themselves a spot in the Dominion with their top three finishes.
