Enigmatic galloper Reign It In returned to winning form after a frustrating 12-month period for both the horse and his trainer Roydon Bergerson when he won the Levin Truck Services sponsored Open 1200m at Ōtaki on Saturday.
The five-year-old son of Sacred Falls had won the corresponding event at the meeting in 2023 but since then his form had tapered off badly as Bergerson tried to coax him out of the slump.
A promising first-up sixth at Woodville back in May had Bergerson encouraged his charge was on the way back to his best - however, he managed to beat just a combined two runners home in his next two starts.
Bergerson wasn’t sure what to expect on Saturday but breathed a huge sigh of relief as Reign It In sat three wide outside the pacemakers Old Town Road and Tavis Court before angling to the outside fence for apprentice Jim Chung, who had been aboard in last year’s victory. In a desperate finish, Reign It In stuck his nose in front at the right time to defeat a brave Prioress, with Tavis Court battling well for third.
Bergerson was shaking his head afterwards as he discussed the temperamental nature of the horse.