Racing: Pair's winning spin continues

Photo / Thinkstock

One of northern racing's most successful combinations has struck another winning blow with Alyssa Schwerin and Spin Doctor stretching their unbeaten run to four.

The stable apprentice guided the Stephen McKee-trained sprinter to their latest success in the Whangarei ITM Open Handicap at Ruakaka yesterday.

"It was a huge effort from him given the weight he had," Schwerin said.

Spin Doctor carried his 58.5kg to a narrow victory over the local hope To Be Sure after covering extra ground throughout.

"She was stuck three wide on him, but did the right thing and kept going forward in a race that was really too short for him," McKee said.

"He's a very good horse that likes winning."

Spin Doctor has won 13 races with seven of them at Te Rapa, where he has also placed in the Gr.1 NRM Sprint, and three at Ruakaka.

"There's not a lot around for him so he'll probably go back to Te Rapa before the Foxbridge Plate in early August," McKee said.

Meanwhile, Smedley coped with the improved track conditions at Ruakaka to win the Fell Engineering Handicap but his trainer Clayton Stevenson is hoping for a change on his intended return later in the month.

"He had been working well at home, although I thought the track might have been a bit too good for him," he said.

"He'll come back here on the 27th and I'll be hoping for as much rain as possible."

Smedley had won his previous start at Ellerslie on heavy going after being under pressure 500 metres from home and the same pattern emerged on Saturday with rider Lee Magorrian hard at work before the turn.

"He pressed on again and Lee knows the horse pretty well now,"' Stevenson said.

- NZ Racing Desk.