Doctor does it again for Alyssa

18 May 2015

Te Rapa expert Spin Doctor (Pins) has never let Alyssa Schwerin down and he again came to the party for the apprentice on Saturday.

The sprinter-miler is her favourite horse and he furthered endeared himself to the 23-year-old when they triumphed in the Mico Plumbing 1400 Open Handicap.

Spin Doctor was one of the first horses Schwerin rode when she started her apprenticeship with the gelding’s trainer Stephen McKee and also provided her with her first winner when they were successful in an open sprint at Ruakaka last July.

“She’s three for three on the horse now so she knows him well,” McKee said.

It was a no panic ride from Schwerin after the son of Pins was tardily away and she cut the corner into the straight before Spin Doctor lengthened stride to record his seventh win on the Hamilton course.

One of those came in this race last year at the expense of Jubilate, who again had to settle for second on Saturday.

He made the pace and kicked on tenaciously in his bid to give trainer Graham Richardson a winning double after fortune finally favoured Dubai Shuffle in the previous event the Fairview Motors Handicap.

“He’s been unlucky a number of times,” Richardson said. “I’ve always had a lot of time for the horse.”

Dubai Shuffle had got clear late before finishing second at his previous appearance and rider Danielle Johnson took luck out of the equation this time.

She took off wide across the top and the five-year-old revelled in his work to have five and a half lengths on Taaxman at the post. – NZ Racing Desk.

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