Racing: Trainers' premiership ends in draw at final meeting in Oamaru

Graeme Rogerson is looking forward to the new season rather than reflecting on what could have been for the season just finished.

The transtasman trainer, who shares the New Zealand arm of his operation with Stephen Autridge, yesterday had to settle for a draw with Mark Walker on the New Zealand trainers' premiership.

The two rivals went into yesterday's Oamaru meeting, the last of the season, in north Otago with 87 wins apiece and both had one win each to take their totals to 88.

Rogerson and Autridge possibly lost an outright winning chance at last Sunday's Timaru meeting, when heavy seas in the Cook Strait prevented them getting their horses from the North to the South Island.

They had intended to send nine horses to Timaru, including Super Sleuth, who yesterday downed the favourite Balmuse at Oamaru for them.

"It's not good saying what should have been," Rogerson said last night. "That's the way it is."

Rogerson was more interested in talking about the new season, which will see New Zealand stakes increase by 26 per cent to $61.5 million, courtesy of tax relief on betting which starts tomorrow.

"We've got the football, now we have to play with it. We've lost ground in the last 10 years but I think we can turn it around."

Rogerson said he and Autridge had done well to make a race of the New Zealand premiership. "We only chased it in the last month or so when we were 23 behind. So we did well to catch up."

Rogerson was also looking forward to the A$5 million ($6.2 million) Melbourne Cup in November.

"I've got two real good chances," he said, referring to Sepia and Zipping who are both in his Australia stables.

This season's premiership win was Rogerson's 12th. The 59-year-old has won it on his own account seven times and has been in partnership for the other five. Three of the partnership wins were with Keith Hawtin and the other two with Autridge.

The premiership win for Walker, 34, was his second, having won in the 2003-04 season.

Walker, who trains under the Te Akau Racing and Breeding Stables banner, described the season as his best.

His said the tally of 88 wins, stakes earned of $1.8 million and 15 wins in group or stakes races were all personal bests.

'It's just a season Te Akau is very proud of. We were really thrilled with the season," Walker said.

Walker said he been pleasantly surprised he was able to match strides with Rogerson and Autridge after they drew level with him on June 24 with 79 wins each.

The race for top apprentice for the season went to Manawatu rider Kelly Myers.

- NZPA