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For the first time in his harness racing career Kumeu trainer Roydon Downey trained a double on one night.

The achievement happened at Alexandra Park last night when Santapazienza (Wishing Stone) and his half-sister Sans Au Revoir (Love You) won. And to make it even more special, Roydon bred both of them.

Three year old colt Santapazienza was the first of the training double.

“He’s been building nicely to that win, running some consistent races, so he was due. Every run he’s getting better and better and I don’t know where the bottom is yet,” Roydon said.

SANTAZINEZA REPLAY

Five races later the night turned memorable when six year old mare Sans Au Revoir won her fifth race by a nose, over 2700 metres.

“She’s better over 2700 metres. She’s been racing alright but the start before I think she may have been in season. I changed the shoes around on her, put some flip flops on her and it made her trot soundly. I didn’t do any work with her and got the split at the end. I didn’t think she’d won.”

SANS AU REVOIR REPLAY

Thirty seven year old Downey has been training since 2015 and last night’s wins took his career tally to nine.

“I’ve only ever had a few around me. I do heaps of breakers and have the odd horse. When my father passed away I inherited his breed. I’m pretty much fulltime shoeing and I do the work for Woodlands Stud and Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan.”

Both winners are out of eight win Pine Chip mare Sanchipola who in turn is out of Sanschiola (Chiola Hanover) which won fifteen races. Her biggest win was in the Ashburton Trotters Flying Mile and she was also placed in the Lyell Creek Stakes and twice in the Cambridge Trotters Mile.

Downey’s only other runner last night was Saninarmbro which finished second in Race One. She’s out of Saninvasion (Armbro Invasion) – another daughter of Sanschiola.

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink