It was a 10 out of 10 ride by jockey Johnathan Parkes on Wait A Sec. He settled the 7-year-old back in the early stages and kept Gingernuts firmly in his sights.
Wait A Sec hit a flat spot when tightened for room at the 600 but Parkes stuck to the inside rail and, when horses in front start to roll out, he was able to get the rails run, while Gingernuts and jockey Opie Bosson were making their run out wide.
Parkes never missed a beat in driving Wait A Sec through and was fined $1200 for excessive use of the whip but Bosson also copped a $1000 fine for the same charge.
Wait A Sec is owned by a little-known Hastings owner-breeder, Ian Henderson, who finally hit the jackpot after racing several moderately performed horses in the past.
It was his first group one success while for the Lowry/Cullen partnership it was their third success together at the elite level, following two Wellington Telegraph Sprint victories by Irish Fling in 2014 and Adventador last year.
Cullen was training on his own when he also won the group one 1999 Wellington Cup with Miss Bailey.
Henderson bred Wait A Sec after buying the 7-year-old's dam Security from another Hawke's Bay breeder, Don Gordon, several years ago and mating her with Postponed.
Wait A Sec is the only horse he has raced out of the mare and he owns him in partnership with his Perth-based son Paul.
Wait A Sec has now won 11 of his 41 starts and the $156,250 first prize from the Livamol Classic took his stake earnings to more than $330,000.
The horse has been in a purple patch of form with seven wins from his past nine starts and his win last Sunday came just nine days after he had taken out the Egmont Cup (2100m) at Hawera.
Wait A Sec's great run of form is attributed to the fact that he does most of his training around the hills and in the dressage arena on a Southern Hawke's Bay farm property owned by Grant Cullen's partner Nikki Lourie.
"He just seems to be thriving on that type of work and is a very happy horse," Cullen said.
The Livamol was supposed to be a lead-up race to next month's group three New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton for Wait A Sec but those plans have now been changed as the horse would have to carry topweight of 60kg in that race.
Instead plans are to run the horse next in the group three $70,000 OMF Stakes, a 2000m weight-for-age race at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day. He could then have a brief spell and be aimed at the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie in March next year.
Group 1 target for Miss Wilson
The group one $200,000 Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham on December 9 is now the main spring target for Hastings mare Miss Wilson after her dominant winning performance in the group three $70,000 Red Badge Spring Sprint at last Sunday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
The Stratum mare showed her class to bring up her sixth success from only 20 starts, clearing out from her rivals over the final stages of the 1400m event to win by 2-1/2 lengths. Trainer John Bary is keen to test her again under weight-for-age conditions at the elite level in the Trentham 1600m feature.
Bary said Miss Wilson has come through the win in tremendous order and will now head to the weight-for-age group two $100,000 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on November 18.
The winner of this event is exempt from the ballot for the Captain Cook Stakes and it is a race Bary won with Survived back in 2013 before that horse went on to finish fourth in the Captain Cook Stakes.
Miss Wilson is owned by her Havelock North breeders, Richard and Liz Wood, and is a half-sister to their former outstanding galloper Jimmy Choux, who was a five-time group one winner and is now a successful sire.
Miss Wilson won four races in a row earlier this year, including the group three Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
Londaro shows touch of class
Hastings-trained Londaro lived up to his high rating with a decisive 1-1/2 length win in the Maiden 1600m race at Sunday's Hawke's Bay meeting.
The Lope de Vega 4-year-old was having his third start, following a debut third over 1300m at Taupo in August and a seventh over 1300m at Hastings last month. He had impressed when winning a Hastings jumpout before that and trainers Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen think he is an exciting galloper going forward.
Londaro spoilt his chances by racing greenly at his second start so blinkers were added to his gear last Sunday.
Rider Samantha Collett settled the horse midfield in the early stages and, after getting into the clear on the home turn, she ducked back to the inside rail in the home straight and the big chestnut bounded clear in the final stages to win with authority.
Londaro is owned by Waikato couple Bruce and Maureen Harvey and was a $200,000 purchase from the premier session of the 2015 Karaka yearling sales.
He is out of the Flying Spur mare Spurcent, who won the Listed AJC Gimcrack Stakes as a 2-year-old and was multiple placed in group races after that. It is also the family of the top Hong Kong performer Glorious Days (eight wins).
Gutsy fresh-up victory
Steppenwolf produced an exceptional fresh-up performance to win a Rating 65 race over 1200m at Hastings on Sunday.
The John Bary-trained 5-year-old had not raced since finishing sixth at Hastings in April and his connections thought he would need the run, especially from a very wide draw.
Jockey Cameron Lammas bounced the 5-year-old out quickly from the barrier but they were caught three-wide in the open and he had no option but to push forward.
Steppenwolf ranged up outside the leaders at the top of the home straight and then really dug in for the fight, gradually gaining the upper hand over Red Tiara in the final stages to win by half a length.
It was the Stravinsky gelding's third win from 16 starts. He is owned by his breeders, Sir Patrick and Lady Justine Hogan, and Kylie Bax and raced by them in partnership with two New Plymouth couples, Jim and Gloria Martin and Wayne and Denise Darling.
After such a tough fresh-up performance Bary will now give Steppenwolf a few easy days before looking for another suitable race.
Rotorua track specialist
Hastings-trained Peso showed his liking for the Rotorua track with a dominant 4-3/4 length victory over 1950m there last Saturday.
The 6-year-old Colombia gelding, prepared by Paul Nelson and owned by him and his wife Carol, recorded his first win over 1950m at Rotorua back in April this year and also finished second on the track last month.
Jockey Jonathan Riddell got the horse into a perfect trailing position in the early stages of last Saturday's race and brought him out centre track to lodge his claim at the top of the home straight.
Peso obviously relished the rain-affected track conditions and raced right away from his rivals over the final stages.
Great performance
Hastings trainer Patrick Campbell pulled off a great training feat when he produced Scandalo to score an impressive fresh up win in a Rating 75 race over 1215m at Rotorua last Saturday.
The Shocking gelding had not raced since winning over 1200m at Hastings in April and went into Saturday's race without the benefit of a recent trial or jumpout and yet he was able to down a strong field.
Jockey Mark Du Plessis settled the horse back in the early stages but improved his position quickly coming to the home turn and Scandalo lodged his claim early in the straight. He shot clear soon after and, although he was starting to get tired in the last 100m, he managed to hold on to beat Legramor by a neck.
Scandalo now has a record of three wins and a second from 13 starts. The horse began his racing career in the South Island and was bought privately by Campbell after his first seven starts had produced two thirds and three fourths.
The horse won his first start for Campbell over 1450m at Wairoa in February before his second success at Hastings two months later.
