Didn’t Di sustains big run to win his maiden

Trotter Didn’t Di (Majestic Son) has turned a bit of a corner and after a string of ‘outs’ he got his first win on the board at Reefton on Sunday.

The gelding was bred by Phil Williamson who qualified him and gave him seven starts for two thirds – each on grass tracks. He was then trained by Earl Swain for five starts without any success. Tayla Duley then bought him off Gavelhouse for $1,300 and placed him with Woodend Beach trainer Matt Purvis who she had previously worked for.

“He’s a bit of an anxious bugger like most trotters and by the looks of it (videos) he just over-raced a bit. He swings his left leg out, so he smacks his knee a little bit. We’ve just changed his shoeing around a bit and managed to get him to stop. He also wears a one arm spreader and it’s obviously helped.”

Purvis took Didn’t Di to two trials for a third and a win, before lining him up at Westport on Friday where he was well supported, but galloped at the 300, finishing second last.

Duley, who was driving him said, “It was probably a combination of green horse, green driver. I just got a little bit excited when we were coming round that bend and gave him his head too much. I should have held onto his head a bit longer.”

In Sunday’s race Didn’t Di began safely, settling in the second half of the field before improving to get a nice sit in the outside running line. At the 700 Duley brought the squaregaiter four wide to sit outside the leader Robbie K. The horse sustained his run, and won by a length and a quarter from Mithali.

DIDN’T DI REPLAY

“It was perfect for him. He’s not real fast but he can stay a bit better than some of the others so that’s why I got going when I did.”

The win was Duley’s fourth as a driver. Her first win was on Denver at Addington in July last year. Her other two wins have been on the Purvis trained Don Juan.

Duley now works in the office at Majestic Horse Floats. She says there are a few grass track options coming up in the wider Canterbury area for Didn’t Di.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink