News

LAUNCESTON: Sentimental Buy Delivers For Evans

30th May 2011

Racing And Sports - Peter Staples Sunday, 29 May 2011

Brighton trainer Terry Evans has his former smart galloper Winter Guest to thank for his latest stable star Pittenweem, winner of the $50,000 Tasmanian Sires Produce Stakes at The TOTE Racing Centre in Launceston last Thursday night.

Evans found it hard to contain his emotions after underrated Japanese rider Shuji Amana partnered the Dash For Cash filly to victory.

“I bought this filly at the William Inglis Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale because she was related to Winter Guest that I owned and trained to win 15 races,” Evans said.

“He was a marvelous horse to me and my family because every time we were doing it tough he'd poke his nose out on the line to win a race and that kept us going.

“I went to Melbourne specifically to look at this filly and when I saw her I had to have her but I only paid a measly $5000.”

Evans named the filly in honour of his former smart galloper Winter Guest after searching the web.

“I did a Google search on the computer and found Pittenweem was a small town in Scotland where they filmed a movie called A Winter Guest,” Evans said.

Pittenweem won her maiden on debut at Launceston in early December followed by a game second at her first try on the Elwick circuit in Hobart but she was unplaced at her three subsequent outings.

• CONSISTENT gelding Wallis repaid his connections for their patience when he scored a game win in the weight-for-age Tasmanian St Leger over 2100 metres on Thursday night.

With in-form jockey James Nevin in the saddle, Wallis produced a barnstorming finish along the rails to steal victory in the shadows of the post from Gee Gees Blackflash.

Trainer Larry Dalco was full of praise for his talented stayer.

“We set him for this race and along the way he gave us every indication that he would be very competitive tonight,” Dalco said.

“He's been a great horse to us and I'd like to have a stable full like him,” he said.

Nevin said Wallis deserved to win a good race.

“This horse deserved to win a decent race because he has been so consistent this season,” Nevin said.

“I rode him last start in a benchmark race in which he carried 61 kilograms and I thought it was a terrific effort and was a lot better than it looked in the form guide.”

“I thought if he took that form into this race he'd be hard to beat and Larry had him spot-on for this race,” he said.