Trish Dunell
Cambridge visitor Decades wrapped up the first day of the Hawkes Bay Spring carnival in fine style with a dashing effort to win the last race on the day’s programme at Hastings.
The Margaret Falconer trained four-year-old was having his first start since finishing runner-up at Rotorua back in May and was heavily backed into favourite on the tote as the field jumped in the Rating 65 1400 metre event.
Favourite punters were on good terms with themselves throughout the race as rider Jason Waddell positioned Decades nicely on the fence before picking a path through the field in the run to the home bend. Angled into centre track Decades burst to the lead with 200 metres to run before closing out the race in style as he cruised to the line to win by a neat length from the fast-finishing Leading Role who made ground nicely from well back in the field.
“It was a super win as we missed the kick on purpose so we could go back to the fence in the early run,” reported Waddell.
“I rode for a bit of luck and we got it.”
Falconer was all smiles as she praised Waddell for his ride on the Makfi gelding.
“It was a great ride as I think Jason had confidence in the horse so I left it to him,” she explained after the race.
“He’s strengthened up a lot this time in and we do think a bit of him.
“He’ll just go through the grades and we will see where we get to but he is a really nice horse.”
Decades is bred and raced by Falconer and is the fourth foal from her Danske mare Untouched who has also produced race winner Quevado. – NZ Racing Desk