Racing: Former plumber taps into success

Andrew Campbell and Tommy Heptinstall lead Tavistock, ridden by Jason Waddell, back to scale. Photo / Supplied

The tough times in horse racing nearly cost Andrew Campbell coming by Saturday's $200,000 Waikato Draught Sprint winner Tavistock.

The 42-year-old former Wainuiomata plumber originally resisted all approaches by Tavistock's part-owner Tommy Heptinstall to train his horses.

Campbell had set himself up as a trader of horses he'd developed up and had no desire to be a traditional trainer.

He told Heptinstall, owner of Wellington's Tommy's Real Estate: "I don't like owners, they're bad losers and they don't pay."

Heptinstall wouldn't take no for an answer. "I told Andrew I was in real estate, so I was used to getting my arse kicked, so the bad loser element wouldn't be there, and I told him I'd pay in advance."

Enter Tavistock.

The handsome son of Montjeu has now won $413,292 and the way he disposed of Saturday's group one sprint field shows there is a lot more around the corner, a corner around which is Australia.

Campbell has done a magnificent job with the entire.

"He's just the best," enthused Heptinstall.

"You just wouldn't want anyone else training your horses."

Campbell originally said that if he ever trained a group one winner he'd retire.

Tavistock has now won two of them and Campbell has no intention of keeping his promise, particularly with the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on February 27 waiting for them.

Tavistock is no stranger to Australia.

As a 3-year-old, he was prepared in Melbourne by Mick Price and won a A$100,000 event at Flemington, beating the talented Romneya after finishing second in the Vain Stakes.

He returned home after a below-par run in the Caulfield Guineas.

If you wanted a snapshot of the euphoria created by winning a major race you needed to go no further than the Te Rapa birdcage scene after Tavistock's win. At the presentation speech, Heptinstall said he'd just finishing telling a woman friend that winning this race was better than watching his children being born.

He told the crowd the woman had said that was a good joke.

"No, I said, I was serious."

Tavistock was well ridden by regular jockey Jason Waddell, who produced him at exactly the right time.

The pair attacked Mufhasa and Wealth Princess and finished too strongly from the 120m.

Statistical evidence was right against Wealth Princess winning at her first start at weight-for-age and jumping 5kg from handicap class.

She looked certain to win when she loomed up to Mufhasa, but the winner's push was too powerful.

Mufhasa was brave in trying to maintain the lead he took early in the home straight.

* * *

South Auckland horsewoman Moira Murdoch doesn't want to think about it but she believes she's running out of time with Fazzle.

She wants to take on some of the better fillies at the Ellerslie carnival, which opens on March 6, but thinks it's going to come up too quickly.

Fazzle couldn't pull punters through at short odds, but Murdoch knew that was going to happen when the classy filly ended up in front.

In recent starts, Fazzle has come from mid-field or further back in running. Jockey Craig Grylls was left with few options when the filly jumped a length clear of the others.

He tried to restrain her, but was caught four wide and he took his only other option, allowing her to to lead.

Fazzle tried hard to keep Sanduree out on the home turn, but the weight differential told and she did well to be only a head back second.

The older, tough Sanduree carried 54kg, with Maija Vance's allowance, and Fazzle was required to carry 56.5kg as a 3-year-old.

"She had no idea what to do in front - she's never been there," said Murdoch. "She's a filly that just loves trailing other horses."

Fazzle has huge potential and Murdoch is agonising over how to maximise this when she considers that the filly has developed form a little later than the other topline fillies.

"I'd love to run her in the Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on Auckland Cup Day [March 10], but I'm just not sure.

"One thing I was delighted about today is that she did the left-handed track very well."

Stratford trainer Aiden Schumacher has done a great job with Sanduree, who started his career late and was having only his 10th start on Saturday.

* * *

Fazzle wasn't the only good thing beaten - Gallant should have won by at least two lengths, according to rider James McDonald.

Gallant was taken off his course in the NZ Bloodstock Premier, when the leader, Veyron, lugged right off the rail approaching the home turn.

Gallant was steaming around the leaders at the time and got carted out to the middle of the track.

"They were walking at the 700m, so I decided to whip around them," said McDonald.

"I was really going when we got pushed out.

"I wish now I'd stayed where I was and come through on the inside."

Hindsight is exactly that - hindsight.

Juice, from the trail on the rail, took advantage of several runners getting pushed out.

Mark Du Plessis shot the New Plymouth mare to the front and in a brave effort she gritted her way to the finish, despite having raced too keenly for the first half of the race.