Shaking Stevens wins home cup

[Wandering Eyes]

Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner has always dreamed of winning her home cup, and that turned into a reality at Phar Lap Raceway on Sunday courtesy of Shaking Stevens (NZ) (American Pharoah).

The five-year-old gelding had an army of supporters on course, and the local crowd got right in behind the son of American Pharoah, backing him from $8 into a $3.20 favourite for the Craigmore Sustainable Holdings Timaru Cup (1600m).

He rocketed out of the gates from his ace barrier and took an early lead under jockey Tina Comignaghi, but soon handed up to an improving Tumuch.

Comignaghi put her charge to sleep in the trail before waking him up at the top of the straight when asking him to chase down the leader and he duly responded, slowly eating into Tumuch’s advantage before hitting the front and holding out a fast-finishing Sir Albert to win by a nose.

Faulkner was rapt to finally get her hands on her home Cup.

“It wasn’t in my wildest dreams that I would win the big race at Timaru, but we have done it,” she said. “I had a horse years ago, when I trained back in the nineties, called Petrify and he ran second, so it was great to win it today.”

Faulkner was pleased with Shaking Stevens’ condition heading into the race and was quietly confident after he jumped away so well.

“He won it at the start, he jumped out that well and she (Comignaghi) could dictate what she wanted to do then,” Faulkner said. “It was a nice, cool ride by Tina, and when the pace was slapped on she let them go and relaxed him, he is a pretty easy horse.”

His large group of owners were trackside on Sunday, and they were in full voice as they cheered home their charge.

“The guys that own this horse are so excited, I don’t think they will be sleeping tonight,” Faulkner said.

“I don’t think they have seen so many people in the birdcage to get into the photo. All the owners were there with their kids and it was really cool. There were a lot of friends and family there today which made it even more special.”

Bred and formerly raced by The Oaks Stud in Cambridge, Shaking Stevens had 14 starts for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh before being offered on gavelhouse.com earlier this year where he was purchased for $8,000.

Faulkner has taken a patient approach with Shaking Stevens since he arrived in her care in March and he has turned a corner since she changed his shoeing at the start of spring and he has gone on to win four of his last five starts.

“Before he started winning for us, he was hanging and carry on a little bit and doing a few things wrong,” Faulkner said. “He had a bit of trouble with his feet, so we got the shoes fixed up and balanced a bit better and got that all ironed out and he turned the corner after we gave him that treatment.

“He is looking better-and-better. He looked magnificent out there today. He had a real glimmer and he walked out there like he owned the place.”

While Shaking Stevens has been in work for a long time, Faulkner said he hasn’t been overtaxed and he benefited from a change of scenery a couple of weeks ago.

“We have had him since March, so he has basically been in work since then,” Faulkner said. “A couple of weeks ago he had a week up at Brian Court’s place on the water walker, just for a change of scenery, and I think that really freshened him up after Cromwell (last-start win).”

With Shaking Stevens’ $46,000 winning cheque in-hand, Faulkner is now eyeing loftier targets, and will likely press on to next months $350,000 Life Direct Remutaka Classic (2100m) at Trentham.

“At the start of the season we planned to get him into the Remutaka Classic,” she said. “He will have a bit of weight to carry in that but there will be a couple of others on the same weight.

“While you have got them in good form like him, you have got to have a crack.”

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