Trainer not surprised by Royal Mission

BY JAMIE SEARLE

Longshot winner Royal Mission surprised many but not trainer-driver Brendon McLellan at Wyndham on Sunday.

Christchurch owner-trainer Neil Hamilton sent Royal Mission to McLellan's Wyndham stable three weeks ago with the intention of starting her at a low stakes meeting at Ascot Park next week.

Royal Mission's second at the Wyndham trials on January 27 prompted McLellan to start her in Sunday's Miracle Lodge Pace.

"She'll probably still start in a class one at Invercargill," McLellan said.

Royal Mission's win dividend of $70 is not the biggest paid by a McLellan-trained horse. The first winner McLellan trained - Josie's Queen - paid $87 at Wyndham in 1984.

La Soiree scored an upset win at odds of 67-to-one in the Southland Standardbred Breeders Two-Year-Old Fillies' Pace. Driven by Brett Cusdin, she was having her first start for Rolleston trainers Mark Purdon and Grant Payne.

Blair Orange, a senior driver in Purdon and Paynes' stable, said La Soiree's win was not expected.

"She surprised us by winning," Orange said.

"She'd been trialling okay, but she's definitely lifted her game today."

La Soiree is the third winner out of L'Escalier, others being Secondstospare (five wins) and L E Operative (six wins). L'Escalier's four wins were from Brendon Scobie's Winton stable in the 1999-00 season.

West Melton trainer Tim Butt got the result he wanted with Hostile Grins in the Southern Floor Care Pace. Hostile Grins scampered clear by two and a-half lengths in the hands of Butt's cousin, Mark Jones.

"He came down for the good stake ($8000) . . . you wouldn't get that for a maiden race in Canterbury," Jones said.

Suncrusher ended a drought for himself and trainer Craig Laurenson when taking out the Rodgers Garage Ltd Handicap Trot.

The squaregaiter's previous win was at Winton in March, 2008, while Laurenson had not trained a winner since In The Ghetto triumped at Forbury Park in June.

Laurenson said Suncrusher had been troubled with health issues this season.

"He kicked a rail and got an infected leg and then he got an abscess in a hoof and the infection went up his leg," Laurenson said.

Yankee Dream's disappointing 11th in the PGG Wrightson AON Insurance Brokers Pace cost Tim Williams a place in the New Zealand team for the Australasian Young Drivers' Championship in New South Wales next month. Williams had to win or run second with Yankee Dream to make the team. That position will now be taken by Reon Tither, who left Invercargill last week to work for West Australia trainer John Graham.

Tither is allowed time off to drive in the championship.

- © Fairfax NZ News