PART time thoroughbred trainer Danny Hamer was happy to take on a couple of horses that his son Rowan brought back to the state from Victoria recently and both have visited the winner’s circle in their adopted state.
Queen of Eight won recently as a race favourite after two encouraging efforts but the latest to salute was Repudiate that scored as the rank outsider in a benchmark 72 event over 1650 metres at Spreyton on Sunday.
Rowan, 26, spent five years working in Victoria for top trainers Mick Kent and Pat Hyland and during that time he bought a couple of horses that he thought might pay their way when he eventually moved back to Tasmania.
Rowan is waiting to secure his trainer’s licence but in the meantime his dad is reaping the rewards of his son’s purchases.
Despite having some fair form last preparation in Victoria Repudiate drifted in the market to start the rank outsider at $35 in the Wynyard Cup but he was considered by his owner and trainer to be a rough each-way hope in the small field of six.
“He’d won twice on the synthetic track at Geelong so we thought Spreyton might be a good place to start him off,” the trainer said.
“Rowan has had this horse all along and he races him in partnership with Claire Pyke.”
“He (Rowan) told me the horse should have won more races but on occasion had been badly ridden,” he said.
Repudiate was ridden by apprentice Victor Wong who settled the gelding at the rear of the field and made his move about 600 metres out.
The well backed Dream Roller hit the front 200 metres out and was being hailed the winner but he had no answer to Repudiate’s powerful finish.