It all came down to the perfect run in the $12,000 Garrard’s Horse & Hound Tamworth City Cup for the locally trained Gottashopearly to take the line honours.
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Trained at Tamworth by Richard Williams the win proved to be a popular one for the 2018 Tamworth Horse of the Year with Maitland’s Brad Elder handling the reins.
“He got a perfect run and when I pulled him out, he just let down super like he does,” Elder said.
“Richie has done a terrific job with the horse and has really taken him to another level.”
Gottashopearly was purchased by Jake Mitchell, Tracey Lee and Josh Lee back in May 2018 and has achieved five wins for his new owners, which included the Psarakis Accounting Marathon back in August 2018 over the 2730 metres.
Gottashopearly (Rocknroll Hanover-Saabette) also made the cut off point for the 2018 Inter Dominion before connections elected to send the six-year-old gelding to the paddock for a “freshen up” before the commencement of the Tamworth HRC January racing carnival.
“For a $3000 claimer Richie has done a good job with the horse,” Elder added.
For Williams, who set up his stables at Tamworth two years ago after moving from Queensland it was an achievement.
“It is a race we have targeted for a while, it is not the richest race in the country but being the Horse of the Year for last season here at Tamworth he (Gottashopearly) deserved to win it so I am happy,” he said.
“Brad was always the first option on the horse and he has got a terrific strike rate - he just can’t pull the wrong rein.”
Elder has had three drives behind Gottashopearly for three wins! That would be a 100 percent strike rate.
“Full credit to the horse and my partner Ashleigh who does a lot of work with the horse as well,” he said.
He is frequently driving up the Highway from Maitland to compete at the Tamworth meetings and was last season’s leading reinsman at the club.
“It was a pretty good achievement tonight,” he said.
“I come up here all the time and it’s good to win a local race with a local horse.”
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“When I saw the fields come out and he drew the eight barrier I thought this is not real good as he might get buried but Hedges Avenue (Mitch Faulkner) did alright and kicked up a bit.”
From the eight barrier Gottashopearly took the trail throughout the race behind Hedges Avenue from the Ernie Mabbott stables who commenced from the one barrier.
With the field racing out of the final turn for home in the 2360m race Elder extricated Gottashopearly out of the inside running line, gaining the lead and coming away with a 3.9m win over Franco Tariq (Nathan Dawson) with Sam’s Cam (Nathan Xuereb) 5.3m away third.
“We got out and he came home strong,” Elder said.
There was no luck for race favourite Blackbird Power (Jimmy Brown) from the Gavin Kelly stables who had travelled the long distance from Tapitalee near Nowra, sustaining a flat tyre and being forced to retire from the race a lap from home.
“I thought the horse (Gottashopearly) could win but I thought if Blackbird Power got the chair, I thought he would stick like flies to honey and I would never get out but he got a flat tyre,” Elder said.
It was a top night for both Williams and Elder.
Williams saw his stable “pin up boy” Midnight Montana take out the Tamworth HRC Volunteers Appreciation Pace with Josh Gallagher taking the reins, while Elder also had a driving double, taking out the Tamworth Harness Racing Club Golden Guitar Consolation with Dawn Magic who is trained by his father Darren.
