Donaldson, owned by Peter and Barbara Tennant, takes out the Meat Company Dannevirke 1600, from Lucquide and Andarta.
Donaldson, owned by Peter and Barbara Tennant, takes out the Meat Company Dannevirke 1600, from Lucquide and Andarta.
Following their horse at the Woodville/Pahiatua Racing Club's meetings has been something of a religion for two syndicate owners and on Sunday they were back again.
Yvonne McNamara and Kathy Douglas of Palmerston North are regulars on the course, following their horse Neat Belt. But before the race, the odds of Neat Belt making another race meeting weren't looking good.
"He's a plodder and it's likely to be his last hurrah here today because he's something of a lazy Willie," Yvonne told the Dannevirke News.
When the racing became too much, a snooze in the grass alongside the birdcage was the ideal solution for this woman.
"We've got someone interested in him as a showjumper, so that's his fate if he doesn't do well, but although he's been a bit burly, he's lost 10kg for today's race."
Unfortunately, he faded and came home fourth by a whisker. But that was enough for Yvonne and Kathy to insist trainer Kevin Gray of Palmerston North give the horse just one more run.
"We want him to finish in the winner's circle," Gray said.
Sunday's race meeting was the ideal family day out for the Groube family of Palmerston North.
"We came to the holiday weekend meeting in January and enjoyed it," they said. "It's a good day to bring a picnic and sit in the sun."
The Groube family from Palmerston North enjoyed a picnic on the lawn in front of the public stand at the Woodville/Pahiatua Racing Club's Sunday meeting.
And it was a great day out for Peter and Barbara Tennant, the owners of Donaldson, which won the Meat Company Dannevirke 1600.
Mr Tennant was born in Woodville and racing is in his blood.
"My dad came here to Woodville after the war and got a job managing a farm at Papatawa," he said.
"He loved racing and his horse was the mother to Donaldson. Dad took his horse as a 9-year-old to Randwick where she won a sprint race, one of four in Australia and three in New Zealand.
Dad's horse was trained by Chris Waller from Foxton, who has been champion trainer in Sydney for six years.
Horses head down the home straight in the Roly Ellis 1400, the race sponsored by the former Tararua district mayor, who is also a racing club committee member. Fine Taylor came in first.
He trained Winx to his recent Cox Plate win, but back when he was a teenager Waller used to relief milk for me."