Cruise Maguire wins Macca Lodge

Cruise Maguire (Always B Miki) trained by Alister Black is beginning to carve out a nice record with the win today in the $30,000 Macca Lodge ‘Trained South of the Waitaki’ Mobile Pace his fourth in just seven starts.

The three year old gelding settled three back on the outside behind Partytime and Santiago with Seeking Clarity making the pace.

At the 500, driver Brad Williamson let Cruise Maguire roll forward three wide and once the pair straightened for the run home Cruise Maguire got the better of Partytime to win by three quarters of a length with Santiago just getting up for second a nose in front of Partytime.

CRUISE MAGUIRE REPLAY

“He’s had a few wee niggles in the past and obviously he was disappointing the last start he had a crack here. He’s definitely got the ability, so with a bit more experience and a bit more racing he should furnish into a pretty nice animal,” Williamson said.

All three placegetters were trained in the Branxholme area in Southland with Alister Black and Nathan Williamson (Partytime) being neighbours and Kirk Larsen (Santiago) living just down the road.

Cruise Maguire is the fourth three year old to win the feature following in the footsteps of Spirit Of St Louis, Tommy Waterhouse and Teddy Baker.

Cruise Maguire is now likely to race in the $300,000 New Zealand Pacing Derby over 2600 metres in seven days time.

“If he settles like he did today he should see it out. It’s obviously going to be a pretty strong (field) but just to be there has been the goal. If we get a start we’ll be there with bells on.”

Black’s biggest winner as a trainer came six years ago at Cup Week when Vintage Cheddar won the Junior Free For All.

Cruise Maguire was offered by Dave Heffernan at the 2024 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales but was passed in for $16,000. Heffernan had Williamson training him before Black bought him on behalf of stable client Elaine Carnie.

She had success in the 1980s with La Valaise (6) trained by Bryce Buchanan and Proud Princess (6) and Tenente (4) both trained by Ali Malcolmson, but this was her first win at Addington.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink