YOUNG trainer Nathan Ford celebrated his first feature race win when his well bred two-year-old Punt Road Disco scored an emphatic win in the colts and geldings final of the $25,000 Betfair Sweepstakes at Tattersall’s Park in Hobart on Sunday night.
Punt Road Disco (Scott Ford) came from well back at the bell to score a runaway win against arguably some of the best juvenile colts and geldings in the state.
The son of Real Desire joined the leaders on the home turn and went on to defeat Nitro Blue by almost six metres with race leader The Big Parade hanging on for third a half-metre astern.
Punt Road Disco is owned in partnership by the trainer, Peter Walker and Diane Hampton.
Walker has been one of the Ford stable’s most dominant owners for the past two years with Walker having a share in a number of horses that have amassed 45 wins since he teamed up with Ford Pacing Stables in 2009.
This latest win was special for Walker who named the horse in honour of former AFL footballer Michael Roach who was one of the best full-forwards of his time when playing with the Richmond Tigers.
“I went to school with Mick (Roach) and we played a lot of sport together and we are still real good mates,” Walker said.
Walker’s phone rang during the interview and it was Roach wanting to congratulate him.
He named the horse after Roach whose nickname was “Disco”.
“I told Mick that if ever I got a fast horse I’d name it after him and because he used to frequent the disco at the Punt Road Oval (Richmond’s home ground and headquarters) I called the horse Punt Road Disco,” Walker said.
Driver Scott Ford described Walker as a stable stalwart who had stuck by the team.
Listen to what Scott Ford had to say about Punt Road Disco’s Sweepstakes win – click here.