In todays $20,000 Edinburgh Realty Waikouaiti Trotters Cup at Oamaru, the drivers wore black arm bands to honour former Oamaru breeder, owner and trainer Roni Lauren who passed away yesterday. 

Phil Williamson trained the winner Practical Magic (Majestic Son)  – a very fitting result as he also trained Lauren’s best horse Allegro Agitato, (Sundon) which won twenty two races.  

Roni Lauren had bred Allegro Agitato and the mare was initially trained by Patrick O’Reilly. 

“He was having a few problems with her so they sent her to stud. She failed to get in foal to Earl so Roni came round one day and asked me if I’d be interested in having a try with her. She probably would never have raced if she’d got in foal.” 

Williamson said Allegro Agitato had ability from the early days. 

“Patrick said she had speed. That ticked a big box for me. He wasn’t wrong. She was very very fast.” 

Allegro Agitato won five of her seven starts as a four year old. As a five year old she won four from fifteen, progressing to open class very quickly. 

Her five G1 wins were in the National Trot (twice) the New Zealand Trotting Free for All, the National Trot and the Australian Trotting Grand Prix at Moonee Valley. 

Roni Lauren began training in the early 1990s at Oamaru before moving to Cambridge in 2012. She trained seventeen winners, her best being I Got Rhythm, a Majestic Son daughter of Allegro Agitato. 

“She was working for the Oamaru Mail and pottering around with her horse when she and her husband Micheal who was a teacher at St Kevins College, bought a property out Hilderthorpe way. Roni was very enthusiastic about the horses and a great feeder,” Williamson said. 

In today’s 3000 metre Cup driver Matty Williamson took Practical Magic to the front with just over a lap to run. 

“That’s the way to play the game. Matty was pretty sharp on her. He knows how to drive her well. She’s the ideal horse for Matty. He likes to put the foot down and that suits her (laughter),” Phil said. 

Practical Magic simply outstayed her rivals, beating Dominations Call by three quarters of a length with Brother Love a length and a quarter back in third. The quinella was the same as it was in the Riverton Trotters Cup.  

“They were the two races we had in mind for her and she managed to pick both of those off. It’s going to get extremely tough now.” 

This was the seventh win for the six year old. 

“She’s done a fantastic job for Angela and Stephen Boyd. They were breaking in horses for me and they asked me if I would like to have a go with her because in the early stages she wasn’t the easiest. They sent her over to me and she’s won over $100,000.” 

Practical Magic has raced wearing half hopples for most of her career. 

PRACTICAL MAGIC REPLAY

“She tries that jolly hard she just needs that support. It’s getting harder having to start off handicaps, but anytime she’s on a grass track and there’s rain around she’s a good bet, because she’s so tough.” 

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink