KEY POINTS:
The 3-year-old pacer Rider On The Storm took 1.5 seconds off the 2400m (mobile) record for all ages when he won a heat of the Southern Supremacy Stakes in 2.54.5, a New Zealand record, at Winton on Saturday.
The previous record was 2.56 set by Starship in the 1989 Ashburton Flying Stakes.
The 3-year-old record was 2.56.3 set by Classic Cullen in a heat of the Supremacy Stakes at Wyndham in March, 2005. The time for Rider On The Storm was a 1.56.9 mile rate.
The speedster led and ran his opening 800m in 58, first mile in 1.57.8, home in 57.7. It was his fourth successive win from nine starts.
A gelding by Live Or Die from Tenisha, he is trained at West Melton by Robert Dunn for John Smith and his son, Brent, of Christchurch; Jamie MacKinnon, a director of the Auckland Trotting Club, Roy Thomson and Louis Bennett, both of Auckland.
Messrs MacKinnon and Bennett are in the ownership of Power Of Tara, who won in good company at Alexandra Park this month.
Dunn arranged the purchase of Rider On The Storm in September from the West Melton stable of John Howe.
Tenisha, the dam of Rider On The Storm has left six other winners including Humminbird (1.51.1) and Irak Attack (1.53.1).
"I will think about his programme after a bit of a break. There is the possibility of the Great Northern Derby. There is also the NZ Derby and the harness jewels," Dunn said.
The stable also won with Veecmee at Winton with both horses driven by Dexter Dunn, the leading junior driver.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
