One Over All continues to rack up wins in NZ return
“He loves these country cup races and being able to get around the tighter track here is a big help."
Jonny Turner is a Southland-based racing journalist. For more of Turner’s content head to the Southern Harness News with Jonny Turner Facebook page.
One Over All showed how dangerous he can be when there is a cup on the line with his brilliant win in the Group Three Pryde’s Easifeed Southern Lights Trot at Ascot Park on Thursday.
Owner Lex Williams was delighted to be clutching yet another trophy after his seven-year-old ran his rivals off their feet in the 2700m feature.
One Over All was a trotting cup king for trainers Greg Sugars and Jess Tubbs in Victoria, where he raced for three years for Williams and co-owner Mark Goodhew.
The owners’ smart planning, bringing the squaregaiter back to New Zealand and back into Gavin Smith’s stable has led to One Over All now racking up more feature race victories on this side of the Tasman.
“Greg had his top horse Just Believe over there and we were up with him, so we thought there wasn’t going to be much point,” Williams said.
“So we decided to bring him home, we thought he was capable of going with the best of them here.”
“He proved that when he ran fifth in the Dominion with not such a good run.”
One Over All claimed trotting cup victories at Stawell, Maryborough, Ararat, Charlton, Horsham, Geelong and Mildura during his outstanding Australian campaign.
The trotter strode to a front-running victory in the recent Group Three Gallagher Family Gold Cup at Omakau before repeating the does in yesterday’s Group Three event.
“He loves these country cup races and being able to get around the tighter track here is a big help,” Willams said.
One Over All was in front at the winning post the first time after making an excellent beginning for driver Matthew Williamson.
Williamson was thrilled to get another chance to drive the trotter given the horse is trained by a more than capable reinsman in Gavin Smith.
“He is not an easy horse to train by any means, Gavin is doing a great job with him,” Williamson said.
“I am grateful that he gave me the drive, he could have come down here and done the job today.”
“So it was good of him to give me another shot.”
In winning, One Over All continued the incredible journey the horse’s dam One Over Kenny has taken Williams on.
The mare was one of the first two horses Williams and his late wife Heather purchased as harness racing owners, before she went on to become a racetrack champion and New Zealand’s first million-dollar trotting mare.
After leaving eight winners and producing multiple Group One victories as a broodmare, One Over Kenny is now enjoying a quiet life at Williams’ property.
“She’s just retired from breeding, we tried to get an embryo from her but it was sufficient so she is home in the paddock.”
A brilliant beginning also set up One Change’s victory in the Group Three Macca Lodge Northern Southland Cup.
The pacer galloped away for several strides but was quickly into a pace and settled in third early despite starting from a 15m handicap.
Driver Blair Orange also had One Change in front at the winning post the first time, and from there Amber Hoffman trained veteran ran to an easy and well-deserved victory.