Phillips family wins rare double in horse racing
"They're both family horses and the stakes [prize money] go into the one pot . . . it helps pay for the other horses we've got."
Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.
Winton thoroughbred trainer John Phillips and his family achieved a rare double as racehorse owners on Saturday when they won with a galloper and a pacer at different tracks.
It's common for owners to win multiple races at a thoroughbred meeting or a harness meeting but for them to be successful in both codes on the same day, it seldom happens.
The Phillips' first success on Saturday was with galloper Midnight Runner at Riccarton in Christchurch. He is trained by John and owned by him, his son Shane, and John's brother, Murray.
Midnight Runner was Ruvanesh Muniandy's lone ride at Riccarton.
Later in the day at a harness meeting at Wyndham, Ultimate Cullect won for the Phillips Racing Syndicate which is made up of John, his wife Kerry, Murray, his other brother Barry, Shane and his brother Brodie.
"They're both family horses and the stakes [prize money] go into the one pot . . . it helps pay for the other horses we've got," John said.
Brett Gray, of Ryal Bush, has trained Ultimate Cullect to win three of four starts.
The Phillips family and Gray sponsored the race Ultimate Cullect won on Saturday - the Phillips Transport/Brett Gray Stables Mobile Pace.
There is an interesting background story to how the family became owners of Ultimate Cullect.
Brodie was given her mother, Lady Go Cullect, at no cost. At the time she was in foal to sire Ultimate Machete and the resulting foal was Ultimate Cullect.
Meanwhile, the heavy track at Riccarton suited Midnight Runner on Saturday.
John Phillips said horses in early races on the programme were clocking about 37 seconds for their last 600m.
"That's right up his alley. Once they start running 33/34 on Riccarton, he can't keep up."