KEY POINTS:
Mark Walker had no time yesterday to celebrate outstanding wins on both sides of the Tasman Sea with Princess Coup and Te Akau Coup.
The Matamata-based trainer made a hit-and-run raid into Melbourne yesterday, saddling up the class mare Princess Coup to post an effortless victory in the (Group Two) $201,000 St George Stakes at Caulfield.
While this was happening, the Walker-training juggernaut was dominating the premier race meeting at Matamata where Te Akau Coup won the (Group Two) $120,000 Matamata Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.
Just for good measure, the Walker-trained Minstrel Court scored a determined front running victory in the $65,000 Listed Fairview Ford Slipper.
Walker left Caulfield racetrack immediately after Princess Coup's victory to return to Auckland.
"It's days like this that make you appreciate all the hard work the team at Te Akau Stables put into preparing our racehorses," said Walker. "It's a fitting reward for all those early morning starts training the racehorses.
"Te Akau Coup worked well during the week leading into the Matamata Breeders Stakes and she handled the heavy track conditions very well.
"I'll see how she pulls up after that race before I decide what we are going to do with her."
Walker has developed an outstanding strike rate with 2-year-olds this season and has further juvenile racing options on the horizon for the exciting Minstrel Court.
The well-built son of Danehill Dancer charged straight to the front and powered through the difficult track conditions to score by three-quarters of a length over the favourite San Bernardino.
A further three-quarters of a length away third was Gigino.
"I've got the Manawatu Sires in mind for Minstrel Court and he definitely won't be racing in the feature races at Ellerslie this season.
"He's going to develop into a very good 3-year-old next season so he won't be racing much more this season."
Te Akau Coup had had just the one race start for an easy victory leading into the feature fillies event and punters obviously ignored that performance allowing her to start at the juicy odds of 14-1.
The daughter of Thorn Park produced a sustained sprint down the outer to win by three-quarters of a length over the favourite Il Quello Veloce with a further 1 1/2 lengths back to Raid (third).
