A first and a 100th at Cambridge

[Wandering Eyes]

By Brigette Solomon 

Two very contrasting milestones were recorded at Cambridge Raceway last night, with Cliff Wilson scoring his first win in the amateur ranks, and Logan Hollis reining home his 100th winner.

Wilson’s winning drive was with the Steve and Amanda Telfer trained Medina Magic who took out the TFS Horse Transport Mobile Pace over 2200 metres. It was a fitting victory with Wilson having been a valued staff member at Stonewall Stud for the past 10 years. The win was also the first of a training double for the Telfer partnership with Elizabeth Hill, driven by Joshua Dickie, later taking out the Dunstan Horse Feeds Trot.

“I had spoken to Steve (Telfer) and Josh (Dickie) about the horse and watched his previous races and thought that if I got the lead and manage to stay out of trouble he could go a good race,” said Wilson, “I didn’t think I’d win by that much though!”

From a handy draw (five) Wilson sent Medina Magic forward to lead, and from there on was able to dictate terms. Upon straightening Medina Magic made short work of the field running away to score an emphatic 7.75 length win.

Wilson has been a life long industry participant and has trained several winners over the years and occasionally pulled on race colours himself to drive. 

And while the win was his first as an amateur, he recalls his first ever and only other winning drive as a junior back in 1981.

“It was at Roxburgh on a horse called Kingsway Bay trained by Lenny Goodall who was my mother’s partner,” said Wilson, “there hasn’t been many drives in between the wins and I guess you could say that I took a wee while to mature.”

“It was good to get a win and hopefully there might be some other horses at the barn suitable for other amateur races.”

Hollis’ century of driving winners was with the first starter Gotta Go Miki who is trained by Hollis and training partner Shane Robertson at their Pukekohe stable.

“It was really nice to get the win with her for her owner Bryan Madson,” said Hollis, “he’s been loyal to us and really patient with this filly as she’s taken time to get to this stage.”

In the five horse field Hollis drove the three-year-old filly quietly off the gate and settled three back on the markers in running. With a lap to run Hollis eased off the markers to sit parked outside the leading Alwaysbesecret, and it wasn’t until the final 100 metres that Gotta Go Miki really let down run on by and win the EAC Equine Infusion HA Mobile Pace by 0.75 lengths.

“When I first started driving as a 16-year-old one of my goals was to win the junior champs which I did twice, and to drive 100 winners so it’s pretty satisfying to have achieved both of those goals now,” said Hollis, “especially now that I really just drive to suit the horses we train, educating them and often putting others on when they are really ready.”

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