Robertsons hoping winning streaks continue

The in-form Robertson stable will be out to continue impressive winning streaks with two of their recent “imports” at Addington this Friday night.

The father-son combo of Peter and Mitchell Robertson line up Ward Lamon and Royal Belle, with the latter gunning for four in a row in Heat 2 of the new Metropolitan Tiara Series (7.36pm)

Royal Belle was previously with Kerry Hadfield.

“I had made some enquiries with him a few times about buying the horse and then one day he was delivering us some feed and he asked me if I was still interested,” says Mitchell Robertson. 

“I thought she had some more wins in her for sure.”

The deal was done.

“She has surprised me a tiny bit but she’s always had ability.”

Her last three wins were at Addington and Rangiora over August and September.

On Friday she resumes at Addington though starting from the outside of the front line isn’t ideal.

“I was reasonably confident before the draw but that has dented my confidence a bit,” says Robertson.

As for tactics?

“I’ll leave that to Blair (Orange), there’s a reason why he’s the best in the country and I’m in the grandstand.”

“She does have good gate speed but it’s pretty hard from the outside of the front.”

The Tiara has attracted what look to be two very open races for the up to R45 4YO and older pacing mares.

“It’s a good initiative for the lower class mares and with the stakes ($17,00 for the heats) it’s been well-supported,” says Robertson. 

The series is a joint initiative between HRNZ, Addington and the NZ Standardbred Breeders Association, with Friday’s heats being followed by two more on October 23 and November 6 before a $40,000 Final on Show Day.

Former southerner Ward Lamon is another recent acquisition that is going well.

“He arrived up from Kirk Larsen’s looking like a million dollars,” says Robertson.

“He’s worked well since day dot when we got our hands on him.”

He has since had two wins on the bounce for the stable.

On Friday he will start in Race 1, the IRT. Your Horse. Our Passion Mobile Pace (4.38pm) against the likes of River and Queen Lizzy.

“I think he’s improving and while it’s a step up again on Friday I don’t think it will worry him, specially if he’s following pace.”

His big target after that will be the $25,000 Canterbury Plains Spring Series Final at Ashburton on Labour Monday (Oct 26).

Robertson, who’s always got his eye out for a good horse, has also acquired two-race winner Heaven Forbid from Ross Cameron.

“We just purchased him last week.”

He’s by Rock N Roll Heaven, the same sire as one of the Robertson’s other top performers in Heaven, who’s won 10 races from exactly 100 starts.