Racing: Leica it used to be for Guv

Emma-Lee Browne had plenty of reasons to be well-satisfied with herself after the running of the $30,000 Te Awamutu Cup at Waipa yesterday.

Browne decided to bring former New Zealand Derby winner Leica Guv back for a "fun" racing campaign and the 7-year-old gelding had plenty of fun yesterday running his rivals into submission in the 1600-metre feature.

Leica Guv looked an exciting equine athlete as a front-running 3-year-old when overpowering age group rivals to impressively win the New Zealand Derby.

The Te Awamutu Cup is a far cry from Group One glory at Ellerslie but that was not going to stop Browne enjoying the moment as the successful trainer at Te Awamutu.

"We weren't going to train him into the ground this campaign as I knew he was always going to be good enough to compete. It was just a matter of mixing things up with him in training and having a little fun," said Browne.

"He's trained quite a bit around the hills on our property and the trick is to keep him a little fresh to run a zippy 1600-metres and that seems to be working at the moment.

"I was a little worried that he was a little too fresh for this race but Opie (Bosson, jockey) settled him nicely off the leaders and he fought well.

"We'll now have to sit down and consider where we go from here as he's not at his best when racing left-handed but we may have to look at running him in the ($70,000) Opunake Cup at Hawera (July 22)."

Bosson gave Leica Guv a dream sit in fourth position tracking the second favourite Zvezda forward four wide to attack the leaders with 600m remaining. Leica Guv showed superior stamina over the closing 100m of the race on a testing track to win by three-quarters of a length over Zvezda with a further nine lengths away to Art Link.

OPIE BOSSON made a clean sweep of the feature events when teaming up with the well-performed Don't Ya Lovett to win the $20,000 Ford Fairview Motors Te Awamutu Sprint.

Don't Ya Lovett settled well back in the field while Lord Spectrum set a solid tempo in front.

Bosson pulled Don't Ya Lovett to the extreme outside of the track in the home stretch and he unleashed a blistering sprint to claim the victory by a half-length over the solid finishing Floydeboy. A further neck away in third position was I Rock My World.

Don't Ya Lovett, which carried 57kg and won with a great deal in hand, is reaching peak form again for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock.

The 6-year-old has been a faultless performer scoring nine wins and six minor placings from 19 starts.

Floydeboy was another runner to catch the eye powering home late to finish second and is nearing winning form.

"They were running along in front early in the race and we just couldn't go with them so I let him find his feet. Once I pulled him to the outside he really started to climb into his work and chase the rest of the field and he was flying over that last 100 metres," said Bosson.

The favourite Baltaine battled into sixth after enjoying an economical sit close to the leaders throughout, but could not quicken when Don't Ya Lovett and Floydeboy challenged wide out in the home stretch.

Throw A Paddy was unwanted in pre-race betting markets and discussions before the running of the final event but that did not stop the 4-year-old delivering a killer blow to punters who backed the hot favourite Kenny Starfighter.

The 34-1 shot and jockey Lisa Cropp denied Opie Bosson a hat-trick of wins when downing the favoured combination by 1 3/4 lengths.

Throw A Paddy was the third and final emergency to gain a start in the race and Cropp picked up the ride when her orginal mount, the Keith Hawtin-trained Vindaloo, was scratched.