3 minute read

Luck finally played the way of promising galloper Ohceedee who prevailed in a blanket finish to the rating 65 Tanalised Mile (1600m) at Ruakaka on Saturday.

Plagued by wide draws and bad luck in running of late, the Power three-year-old found circumstances in his favour on Saturday as he produced a determined finish in the hands of Matt Cameron to defeat Real Fun by a head with another half head back to the third placed Poker Face.

Trainer Steven Cole was confident his charge had got the winning stride in when watching the race live but, after two viewings of the replay, doubt began to creep in.

“When I saw it in real time I thought he had arrived just in time but the more I watched the replay the more I thought he had got beaten,” he said.

“It was only when they gave the official placings that I could relax and savour the win.

“He hasn’t had a lot of luck in this campaign as he has drawn wide most times and then two starts back he copped a decent check just when he was making his run.

“Matt rode a good race on him as he had him much handier than he has been of late and that put him in a winning position that he could capitalise on.

“We’ve always thought a fair but of him so hopefully he can go with it now.”

After finishing third behind Haussmann at Listed level as a two-year-old, Cole tested his charge in top three-year-old company where he finished sixth in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas in September.

Gelded and put aside after two lacklustre runs following his Guineas performance, Ohceedee has now won two of his last four starts with Cole keen to keep him rolling over the next few months before making a return to Hastings for the Spring carnival.

“He’s not a genuine wet tracker so these winter meetings at Ruakaka suit him,” he said.

“He will go back up there again over the next couple of months before we set him for Hawkes Bay.

“There are some nice races over the three meetings there during their carnival so hopefully he can pick something up.

“He’s taken a while to mature mentally but he has really improved in this campaign, so we are looking forward to the new season with him.”