Rhaegar, Willis good Christmas Eve chances for Howden

Fancy a bit of horse racing on Christmas Eve? The Tapanui Racing Club will host a meeting in Gore.

Rhaegar (left, Savish Khetoo) and Willis (Cyrille Leveque) heading to the track for a jumpout at Winton earlier this season. Photo: JAMIE SEARLE

• Jamie Searle is a long-time Southland racing writer. For more of his work head to the Southland Thoroughbreds Facebook page.

Barry Howden only trains a couple of horses and his current team of Rhaegar and Willis look good chances at the Tapanui Racing Club's meeting at Gore on Christmas Eve (Sunday).

They competed in different races at Ascot Park last weekend, with Rhaegar finishing fourth and Willis fifth.

Howden, of Makarewa, said the pair had come through their Ascot Park runs in good order and would line up in the Dynes Transport Ltd-sponsored Tapanui Cup (Rhaegar) and Advance Agriculture Rating 65 1335m (Willis) at Gore.

Rhaegar is racing out of his class in the Tapanui Cup but Howden is hopeful the gelding will give a good account. Rhaegar won at the last Gore meeting on October 25.

"I'm quite pleased with him," Howden said of Rhaegar.

Rhaegar (right, Kavish Chowdhoory) and Capistrano Rocs (Bailey Rogerson) battle out a finish at Gore in October. Rhaegar won by half a length. Both horses are racing at Gore on Sunday. Photo: JAMIE SEARLE

Willis' two race starts this season have produced strong finishes. However, Howden pointed out that if there were horses held up or copping other forms of bad luck in the running Willis was often one of them.

"He seems to find a bit of trouble [in races]."

"His runs have been really good [this season]. Earlier on he was a bit crook ...he's come right now."

Meanwhile, blinkers will be added to The Cluster's gear for the last race at Gore, the AB Lime Rating 65 1800m.

Co-trainer Tony Dennis said The Cluster had not been wanting to go through gaps in races.

"He hesitates and isn't going through them. We'll try and sharpen him up with the blinkers." 

Co-trainer Joe Dennis, left, and stable foreman Alex Dobrytsky with The Cluster who will have blinkers added to his racing gear at Gore on Sunday. Photo: JAMIE SEARLE

A horse long overdue for success is Mrs Lawrence who contests race one, the Road Transport Logistics and Tapanui Four Square Maiden 2000m.

She has been unlucky in quite a few of her 14 starts for Winton trainer Leda Beck. The galloper's great granddam, Sea Swift, won two Invercargill Cups in the 1980s.