The patience of Wyndham trainer Gary McEwan was rewarded in spades at Ascot Park today when his diminutive grey trotter Eyre's A Rag Doll cleared maiden ranks at start number forty.

The six year old qualified as a two year old and between two, three and four she only had seven starts. So she wasn't over raced early in her career.

"She was very spooky and wasn't fluent in her trotting action. The only way I was going to make her a competitive race horse was to keep going back to the races. She's really trotting well now and is fluent in her gait and her manners are pretty much perfect now so it's all been worthwhile," said McEwan whose last training success came with Summit Invasion in October 2005.

Eyre's A Rag Doll is by Monkey Bones out of Idle Fiori a Sundon mare which has left good winners Idle Wishes and Idle Bones. Idle Bones won at Alexandra Park on Friday night. 

She was bred by Daryl Brown at Wai Eyre Farm in North Canterbury and although she's raced on lease, McEwan said he would like to buy her and breed from her one day.  

"She's been part of the place because I've had her since she was a weanling. It's a pretty nice family so I'm hopeful that she'll carry on now and be competitive in the next grade."

McEwan has driven Eyre's A Rag Doll in most of her starts but this season he handed the reins over to Hamish Hunter, preferring to handle his other C1 trotter Our Budd.

Eyre's A Rag Doll (3) about to challenge for the lead – Photo Bruce Stewart.

"I picked him because he's a very talented horseman. I thought he'd tuck her away and put her to sleep somewhere."

In today's race Hunter put Eyre's A Rag Doll back on the inside running line and produced her three wide at the top of the straight to win by four lengths from Belmont Invasion. 

Bruce Stewart
Southland Harness Racing