Last season’s leading harness trainer Phillip Ford won the first race of the new season with recent stable addition Mister Gunadoo at Launceston on Sunday night.
Although backed from $11 to $4 on course, the lightly-raced four-year-old still paid $11.60 on the Tote.
“I’ve only had him for about three weeks and I think he will continue to get better,” Ford said.
When I got him he didn’t have that killer instinct.
Ford said that he didn’t put Mister Gunadoo under any pressure in training until he took him to the trials.
“Then he went okay,” the trainer said. He won and, although he only went 2:09, he ran home a good last quarter in 28 seconds.”
Ford prepares Mister Gunadoo for owner Barry Weston.
The stable had a double on the board three races later when WaterlooBay, driven by Nathan Ford, led all the way in the Hygain Grand Prix Claimer.
The 11-year-old snuck home by a head for his fifth win since joining Ford’s team about three months ago.
He was claimed by owners Craig Sweeney, John Reid and Mark Brown after winning at Devonport at the end of May.
“He’s always a chance in these standing-start claimers and there’s another one coming up in a fortnight,” Ford said.
Waterloo Bay started at $3 and was just shaded for favouritism by Albert Jones who looked to be travelling nicely in the one-one sit until he went into a break at the 800m.
By Greg Mansfield