Race win special for track rider watching in hospital
Press Charges has won the Southland Racing Club's first ever $100k race and it meant plenty for an injured track work rider watching from hospital.
Jamie Searle is a long-time racing writer. For more of his work on thoroughbred racing check out the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page
Injured trackwork rider Ruby Rae-Wood watched in Christchurch Hospital television coverage of her favourite horse winning the $100,000 ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas on Saturday.
Rae-Wood was to accompany Press Charges to Invercargill for the guineas, but eight days earlier she was seriously injured when her car and a truck collided in Christchurch.
She rang her aunt, Terri Rae, the trainer of Press Charges, immediately after the guineas was run.
"She was so excited," Rae, of Christchurch, said.
"She got operated on two days ago. They did the pelvis and collarbone in the same operation and had the spleen out the day before."
Cambridge trainer Ben Foote who owns Press Charges with Lau Hing Fai, sent the horse, unraced, to Rae after his third at the Waipa trials on December 6.
He came south especially for the Dunedin and Southland Guineas.
Press Charges won his debut in a maiden race at Wingatui on January 14. He was scratched in the Dunedin Guineas on February 4 because of his wide draw..
He drew six for the Southland Guineas.
Rae arranged for fellow Christchurch trainer Ross Beckett, who also had horses racing at Ascot Park, to look after Press Charges in Invercargill until she got there on Saturday morning.
"I had to ride horses [early Saturday morning] before IÂ came down," Rae said.
Press Charges' training had been good leading into the guineas and when he draw handy at six and with top jockey Lisa Allpress riding, Rae's confidence levels grew.
Press Charges won by three-quarters of a length from favourite Specialty, with the same margin to Tough Time third.
"There's a chance he could be sold [now]," Rae said of Press Charges.Â