White with training-driving double at Cambridge

[Wandering Eyes]

By Jordyn Bublitz 

Clevedon trainer-driver Matthew White enjoyed a standout night at Cambridge Raceway last night , coming away with two wins and a second from his three runners.

He drove all three himself.

First out for the night was Forgiveness, who set the tone with a gritty effort to finish second in the Xmas At The Raceway Tickets On Sale Now Handicap Trot. Off a 25m handicap, the mare produced a strong finish to run into the placing and signalled a welcome return to form.

“Back left-handed is probably the reason she’s picked up,” White said, “the drop in company helps as well. She’s been racing well and it’s great to see her coming back into form.”

Oakley, who has been part of White’s stable since he was a yearling, stepped up to the mark in the IRT. Your Horse. Our Passion. Mobile Pace.

The three-year-old made the most of his inside draw, using his gate speed to find the front early. From there, he rolled along in front and dug deep in the run home to hold on and claim his maiden victory.

“I thought his fresh-up run was good, I was a bit disappointed with his second run,” White said, “I was reasonably confident in him heading into last night, he’d found the right race and had a good draw to help. He really only just got there, but he’s still learning, and he’ll only improve with more racing.”

The night was capped off perfectly by Change Tact, who continued her strong form with an emphatic victory in the Gavelhouse.com Mobile Pace. The Lazarus mare has been a model of consistency all season, and she showed her class once again, sitting in the trail before dashing up the passing lane to win by 3¼ lengths in a sharp 1:57.7 mile rate, closing in 56.6 for the last half.

“She got the run I was hoping for, it panned out beautifully for us,” White said, “I thought that she’d race well with how consistent she’s been all season. She’s been up for quite a while, but she handles the work and she’s still racing well.”

“The run of the night was definitely Change Tact,” he said. “Her owners Rob (Carr) and Don (Kirkbride) were on course, which made it even better. They’re great people who get a huge buzz out of it and it was really nice to get that win for them.”

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