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Visiting Australian jockey Luke Currie made his New Zealand debut a winning one with a last-to-first performance on Wingman in Saturday’s Aztech Engineering 3YO (1400m) at Trentham.
Currie has more than 1450 winners to his name in Australia, including 13 Group Ones as well as last year's A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) aboard Kiwi-bred star Mr Brightside. He has also won races in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Mauritius. Now he has added New Zealand to that list.
A second placegetter on Too Sweet in the first race on the Trentham card, Currie went one better when he was legged aboard Wingman for his second New Zealand ride.
The Swiss Ace gelding was slow to leave the starting gates and dropped out to be a clear last as Velton set a moderate tempo out in front, but Currie never panicked and allowed his mount to find his feet and gather his momentum.
The gaps closed coming up to the home turn and Currie angled his mount out to the centre of the track to lodge his claim. Wingman lengthened stride stylishly and bounded to the front with more than 100m remaining. Leica Lucy sprinted up alongside him on his inside and made him work hard through the final 50m, but Wingman found enough to repel her by a head.
"Having ridden a winner now, obviously I have to say I think riding here at Trentham is pretty good," Currie said. "But it's a lovely big track and it's in great condition today, so it's really nice to be here.
"The horse quickened up very nicely. I left him alone early, and being such a small field, I was a bit concerned that they might back the pace right off. But he came out in the straight and quickened really well. It was a good, tough win."
Bred and raced by Westbury Stud owner Gerry Harvey, Wingman has now had three starts for two wins and a placing and has earned $52,175 in stakes.
Wingman is held in high regard by his trainer Roydon Bergerson, who sees him as a genuine contender for the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) at Ellerslie in March.
"That was a very good performance by both horse and rider," Bergerson said. "I just told him to go back, let him settle and then get him to the outside. He doesn't seem to be the same horse when he's got something outside him – he sort of wimps out a bit. But he's got a bright future.
"Hopefully Awapuni might select him for the slot race. I'm really happy with this horse and I think he's only going to get better. It was a very good effort to come from two or three lengths last off a slow pace today. He got to the line really well.
"We'll probably look to give him a bit of a break now and get him ready for March."
The TAB rates Wingman a $26 chance in an NZB Kiwi market that is headed by equal $8 favourites Aeliana, Checkmate and Savaglee