KEY POINTS:
An agressive front-running ride by Kate Hercock left punters reeling when 53-1 shot Taikorea scored an upset victory in the $75,000 Wanganui Cup yesterday.
While rival jockeys were content to sit off the speed and pounce when the leaders faded, Hercock was dictating a solid tempo in front and made the opposition suffer the consequences on the hometurn when kicking clear.
Taikorea defied all challengers and despite being friendless with win punters on the New Zealand TAB scored by 1 3/4 lengths over Three Chimneys with a further long neck back to the favourite Cape Cover (third).
Otaki trainers Howie and Lorraine Mathews took the 7-year-old to Riccarton during the New Zealand Cup Carnival but the trip proved disappointing with an unplaced performance.
Taikorea paraded in much better condition before the running of yesterdays Cambridge Thoroughbred Sales-sponsored event and ran the sprint finishing ability out of the opposition.
A solid performer for the Mathews, Taikorea has seven wins and five placings from 35 starts.
* Backmarker Gimme A Break was in ruthless form when outstaying and over powering the opposition to win the $15,000 Geraldine Trust Cup yesterday.
The 6-year-old overcame a 30m backmark to loop the field with a lap to go and was far too strong for the opposition, surging clear in the home straight to win by 1 1/4 lengths over Diana May.
A nose away third was Morty.
Gimme A Break was a sitting duck for any sit-sprint racehorses in the home straight but the powerfully built son of Live Or Die would not be denied a well-deserved victory.
"He's a tough stayer and the standing start conditions and the grass track were to his liking," said winning driver Gerard O'Reilly.
"He went a great race on Show Day at Addington in the two-mile race when placed fourth behind Report For Duty and I knew he'd stay all day.
"They went hard in front during the early part of the race and once the leaders settled down and back off the speed we made our move and got to the front. He was travelling nicely a long way out from home and it was a good effort."
Gimme A Break has been patiently handled by Darfield-based trainer Allan Thomson scoring eight wins and five minor placings from 21 starts.
The gelding will be easy to place in a large number of feature events in the Canterbury-Southland region over the upcoming Christmas racing period.
