By Jonny Turner
Southland’s Mr Consistent looks to have sealed a shot at $100,000 with his late closing win in the Winton Cup.
Some Rory McIlwrick magic helped extricate Peroni from a tricky spot before he held off a wall of finishers in an exciting home straight battle in the 2400m feature.
Clinching a maximum 10 points took the Wayne Adams trained pacer to 23 points in the New Zealand Country Championship which culminates with a $100,000 final at Addington next weekend.
That places Peroni in third position, just four points behind series leader Rough And Ready, going into the final qualifying event at Methven today.
The $100,000 final wasn’t in Wayne Adams’ plans immediately after his horse’s win but it looks as though he and McIlwrick will need to pack their bags and head to Christchurch.
If Peroni does qualify for the Country Championship it will be partially down to some vital gear tinkering from his trainer.
Adams felt his pacer wasn’t quite striding out at his best three starts ago and made what have proven to be winning adjustments.
“About three starts ago I thought he just wasn’t quite striding out, so before the Wyndham Cup I let his hopples out six holes.”
“We put shorteners in him to help get him away and he has been as good as gold.”
“He is a lovely pacer and a lovely horse to do anything with, nothing is a worry to him.”
“He is a real Bettor’s Delight.”
McIlwrick and Adams have struck up a great combination since the reinsman started working for the trainer.
Adams’ stable is McIlwrick’s first stop each morning before he continues on to lend a hand at several other barns amid his busy weekly routine.
“I love working at Wayne’s, it is my first stop in the mornings and it always puts a smile on my face,” the reinsman said.
McIlwrick eased Peroni out of an early battle for the lead before the pacer was shuffled back to four back on the fence.
Some masterful manoeuvring between the 400m and the home turn, which had some of his fellow drivers calling McIlwrick ‘The Gifted One’, got Peroni into the clear to launch his winning run.
After hitting the lead, the pacer held out a huge line up of finishers, with just two and a half lengths covering the first eight horses home.
The Stonewall Stud team enjoyed an outstanding day at Winton on Saturday.
Trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer and driver Tim Williams notched a winning treble which included Darling Me’s victory in the Southern Belle Speed Series Final.
The Telfer-Williams combination also scored with three-year-old S Matt Major and Ardie’s Express.