Phil Williamson trained the winner Practical Magic (Majestic son) – a very fitting result since he also trained Lauren’s best horse Allegro Agitato, (To follow) who won twenty-two races.
Roni Lauren had bred Allegro Agitato and the mare was initially trained by Patrick O’Reilly.
“He had a few problems with her, so they sent her to stud. She couldn’t get pregnant with Earl, so Roni came by one day and asked me if I would be interested in trying with her. She probably never would have raced if she had gotten pregnant.”
Williamson said Allegro Agitato had talent from the start.
“Patrick said she had speed. That was a big challenge for me. He wasn’t wrong. She was very, very fast.”
Allegro Agitato won five of her seven starts as a four-year-old. As a five-year-old she won four out of fifteen, allowing her to quickly progress to the open class.
Her five G1 wins were in the National Trot (twice), the New Zealand Trotting Free for All, the National Trot and the Australian Trotting Grand Prix at Moonee Valley.
Roni Lauren started training at Oamaru in the early 1990s before moving to Cambridge in 2012. She trained seventeen winners, of which her best was I Got Rhythm, a Majestic Son daughter of Allegro Agitato.
“She worked for the Oamaru Mail and was strolling around with her horse when she and her husband Micheal, who was a teacher at St Kevins College, bought a property on Hilderthorpe road. Roni was very enthusiastic about the horses and a great driver,” said Williamson.
In today’s 3000m Cup, Matty Williamson rode Practical Magic to the front with just over a lap to go.
“That’s the way to play the game. Matty was quite sharp with her. He drives her well. She’s the ideal horse for Matty. He likes to put his foot down and that suits her (laughter),” said Phil.
Practical Magic easily outpaced her rivals, beating Dominations Call by three-quarters of a length, while Brother Love finished a length and a quarter back in third. The quinella was the same as in the Riverton Trotters Cup.
“It was the two races we had in mind for her and she was able to choose them both. It’s going to be extremely tough now.”
This was the seventh victory for the six-year-old.
“She did a fantastic job for Angela and Stephen Boyd. They were breaking in horses for me and they asked me if I wanted to go with her sometime because she wasn’t the easiest in the early stages. They sent her to me and she won over $100,000.”
Practical Magic has raced half-hopples for most of her career.
PRACTICAL MAGIC REPETITION
“She’s trying really hard, she just needs that support. It’s getting harder and harder to start handicapping, but anytime she’s on a grass track and there’s rain, she’s a good bet because she’s so strong.”
For full race results, click here.
Through Bruce Stewartfor Harnesslink
#Drivers #Trotters #Cup #honor #Oamaru #coach