Cox mare runs a cracker

Bruce Stewart Journalist

Class prevailed when Seacracka, (Downbytheseaside) despite having been off the scene for more than a year, impressively won at the Oamaru harness meeting yesterday.

Driver Carter Dalgety settled the four year old mare back to the rear before in a lightning move, he circled the field at the 1200 metre peg. After hitting the front, the race was never in doubt with Seacracka going on to win by a length and a quarter from The Next Best Thing.

Formerly trained by the late Katie Cox, Seacracka has been with her new trainer Jonny Cox for six months.

“I’ve just taken her slow and steady and it wasn’t an overly strong field but she did a good job today,” he said.

The mare is raced by the same group of owners that raced Hooroo, (Vincent) which won two races for the Cox stable. 

“I think I’ve had four horses for the same owners and Katie passed them on to me. She did all the groundwork with the horses and it was good to get a winner for them.” 

As a three year old Seacracka raced in the Nevele R Fillies Series.

“Katie thought enough of her to put her in those sorts of races and hopefully the horse can mature a bit and carry on with what she’s done today.”

Cox says Seacracka will now head south for the Diamond Creek Farm/SBSR Robin Dundee Crown.

“We’ll have a crack at that. There’s going to be some good mares in it and some good money. It’ll be a good race and I’d like to think this mare will improve on today’s race.”

Although she can be temperamental Cox has been impressed with Seacracka from day one.

“She just covers the ground so easy. The first time I had the hopples on her and gave her a bowl round she went a wee bit quicker than I wanted, but she was just doing it so easy. She always gives you a good feeling when you work her but she can get a bit eager at times.”

Meanwhile Cox is looking forward to the Invercargill Cup meeting next Friday and says Pinseeker will also front up in the $100,000 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup. His partner Kimberly Butt is bringing Master Class south for the G3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes and the Cox trained It’s Electrifying has been aimed at the McKnight and Brown Mobile Pace.

Pinseeker ran an unlucky fifth in last Friday’s $100,000 Christian Cullen.

“I couldn’t have been happier with the run the other night. We didn’t get a crack at them. It was nice to know that we kept up.”

After the Invercargill Cup, Pinseeker is likely to head to Omakau.