Henry sails home for first win

Bruce Stewart Contributor

Ebury Street (Bettor’s Delight) provided junior driver Henry Sail with his first winner at the Wyndham Harness Racing Club’s grass meeting at Cromwell today.

“He’s been driving that horse for a long time now and I’ve been telling him he was going to get one one day. She’s been a bit unlucky but he drove her perfect today and she was too good,” trainer Tom Bamford said.

Bamford said that owner Ronnie Dawe took both horses south today, but Sail was in charge of looking after them and gearing them up.

“He works for Davie Butt in the mornings and then jogs a couple of heats for Greg and Nina Hope. He’s actually my flatmate.”

Sail has also worked for Kyle Cameron and Bennie Hill.

Ebury Street got back in today’s Harrold Building Limited Mobile Pace but flew down the outside to win by three quarters of a length from Paradise Valley.

Later in the programme Bamford scored another win with the promising Rakero Rocket (Rock N Roll Heaven) which led all the way, in the hands of leading junior driver Carter Dalgety.

“That was the only penalty free race I could find for him for a long time. It was his first run on the grass and I had to roll the dice and send him down there. I knew he’d be too good for them, but he was doing a lot of things wrong. There’s still a lot of improvement there so we’ll change a bit of gear for Sunday. I spoke to Carter earlier and he said he won that race in first gear.”

Bamford confirmed that Sail will drive Rakero Rocket on the second day of the meeting.

The four year old’s time of 2-13.6 was a new track record for four year old and older entire’s and geldings. The previous record of 2-13.7 was set by Comply Or Die in 2012.