23 Sep 2023Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow has enjoyed a successful run with his versatile team of runners recently, adding another to the board when producing Frank The Tank to score in the tough conditions at Awapuni on Saturday.
The Burgundy four-year-old jumped leisurely away from the barriers in the Pilet Contracting LTD/Pioneer Seeds 1400, but jockey Michael McNab soon had him settled midfield between runners behind a relatively strong pace set by Perkyorlamosa.
Frank The Tank was initially restricted for clear air down much of the home straight but McNab’s experience showed when the run appeared, and the gelding showed a strong turn of foot despite the deteriorating track conditions to drive over the top of Our Sassie Anne by three-quarters-of-a-length.
“I thought it was a very good ride, he just got back a bit on the inside and had to make a bit luck for himself,” Thurlow said.
“He’s a really progressive horse and showed a lot of heart late which was good.”
The lightly-tried gelding was having just his third race-day appearance after recording a fourth and a second in his first two starts, and was fairly dominant in the finish, justifying his $3.00 favouritism.
“He only just came to us this season, he was with some other people, so this is the first prep we’ve given him. I think he had a little wind issue that had to be sorted out so hence why he didn’t race until a bit later,” Thurlow said.
Thurlow plans to take his promising charge to the last day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, targeting the MAAT 1400m event before aiming for a step-up in distance.
“We’re hoping he’ll get a mile, and that would give us a lot more options for him rather than just getting out to 1400m,” he said.
Frank The Tank’s victory topped off a successful couple of weeks for the Waverley trainer, also recording wins with exciting filly No Rain Ever at his home track earlier in September and steeplechaser Whiskey Tango finishing his campaign with a victory on Great Northern day at Te Rapa. - By Jess de Lautour, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk