Journalists Wandering Eyes Posted 6 hours ago Journalists Share Posted 6 hours ago Treybon will contest the $200,000 Southern Mile Final (1600m) at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: Race Images While Saturday’s inaugural Otago Classics Day at Wingatui is headlined by its trio of black-type features, the $200,000 Southern Mile Final (1600m) gives intermediate-grade horses an opportunity to race for the highest stake of their careers. The Southern Mile Final is the final event on Saturday’s 10-race card. It is the culmination of a series of Rating 65 and 75 qualifiers that began on Boxing Day and included races at Wingatui, Riccarton, Riverton and Ascot Park. The popular series is now in its fourth year, with Henley, Burgie and The Grey Goose winning the first three editions of the lucrative Wingatui final. Burgie went on to place in the Group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) later in the autumn of 2023, then returned a year later and won that fillies and mares’ feature. Last year’s Southern Mile winner The Grey Goose will be back at Wingatui again on Saturday to contest the Group 3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m). Saturday’s 2025 renewal of the ODT Southern Mile Final has drawn a full field of 14 plus six emergencies, with locals facing off against strong contingents from around Canterbury and Southland. The 59kg topweight is the Canterbury visitor Treybon, who has been a model of consistency through his seven-year-old season. The Sweynesse gelding beat black-type performers Family Ties and Miss Layla to win a 1600m Rating 75 at Ashburton in December, then stepped up into open class and ran a close fifth behind Ears Back in the Timaru Cup (1600m). After taking out the iconic Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m) on January 11, Treybon dropped back down to Rating 75 company and recorded a pair of close second placings behind fellow Southern Mile Final entrants Quintabelle and Steal My Thunder. “He’s been racing in great form this summer,” Beckett said. “He seems to have really matured now and grown into himself. There have been no problems with him at all since that last-start second at Ascot Park. I’m happy as hell with him. He should go well again on Saturday.” Treybon has formed a successful partnership with apprentice jockey Donovan Cooper, who has ridden him six times for two wins, three placings and the Timaru Cup fifth. Cooper’s 2kg claim will reduce Treybon’s impost to 57kg. “Donovan gets on really well with him and the horse seems to race kindly for him,” Beckett said. “He was very keen to stay with him for Saturday, and we’re more than happy to have him on again.” A super-consistent member of the Southland contingent is Maximus Augustus, whose eight starts this season have produced a win, two seconds, a third, two fourths and a fifth. The five-year-old son of War Decree is trained by his owner-breeder Bill McNamara, who has five horses in work in his Ascot Park stable and has never before had a runner in a $200,000 race. “It’s exciting,” McNamara said. “We’re thrilled to have him lining up in a race for that kind of prize. We’ve got an in-form jockey (Samantha Wynne) and a good gate (two), so we’ve been pretty fortunate in the lead-up to the race. “He’s been in good form this season and hasn’t had much luck in his races either. There’s always been something that’s happened, where the outcome could have been quite different if things had gone differently in the running. So hopefully he might have a bit of better luck going his way this time. “I’ve been very happy with the horse since his last run. He’s big and strong. He’s as fit as we’re going to get him and as well as we’re going to get him. Now it all comes down to what happens on the day.” Horse racing news View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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