The combination of trainer Alby MacGregor, jockey Jacob Lowry and warhorse Times Ticking proved once again that Riccarton is their happy hunting ground when they combined to win the feature race of the day, the Gr.3 Coca Cola Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m).
The trio had taken out the main lead-up event to the weight-for-age contest seven days earlier when successful in the Listed Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m), although MacGregor wasn’t on course to cheer his champ home, preferring to do that from the comfort of his Opaki lounge that day.
MacGregor wasn’t missing Saturday’s live performance and he had plenty to be thankful for as Lowry produced another copybook ride to land the son of Tavistock an imperious two-length winner
Lowry had Times Ticking smoking his pipe in midfield for most of the race before defying the wide-running pattern of the day by cutting underneath runners on the home bend and saving many lengths.
Lowry shot his mount clear and the pair maintained their advantage to the finish line as they defeated a gallant Capo Dell Impero with Lightning Jack filling third.
For MacGregor it was the culmination of months of planning and an extremely satisfying result.
“It was a great thrill and we will definitely be enjoying ourselves tonight,” he said.
“We planned to come south for the two races and we have been lucky enough to win them both.
“He is a pretty durable and tough bugger and he showed that.
“I’ve got him back in a paddock now and he has his head in his feed bin, scoffing the lot so he looks like he will pull up pretty good from the race.”
MacGregor was pleased with how his charge travelled during the running but wasn’t too sure when he saw Lowry take an inside run coming to the home turn as the majority of winners on the day had swooped home down the outer of the track.
“He (Lowry) came back in and told me that we didn’t do everything to the plan but the horse was going that good he thought he might as well save as much ground as possible and put him right in the race,” MacGregor said.
“You could see when he was behind them, he was dying to get out and get going so I think it was the right thing to do as if he had of got held up it could have been a completely different result.
“He will have a few days off now as there is nothing left for him down here.
“He can go back home and we might look at another couple of runs, but he has done us proud and I can say without a word of a lie, there will be some celebrating tonight.”
Times Ticking has now made it back-to-back stakes victories and has ten wins from just 29 career starts, with prizemoney in excess of $316,000. – NZ Racing Desk
