Patient beginnings paying dividends for white-hot Motuman
IT may have taken until its fourth year and plenty of race day experience, but promising stayer Motuman is finally starting to display why the stable had so much faith.
The four-year-old has been making all the right moves this preparation following two wins and a second-placed from his last three starts and he will look to add to his tally in the Zest 2100 at Tauranga on Saturday.
Motuman is prepared on the track by part-owner Wayne Carter, and the trainer said his gelding had benefitted enormously from a patient approach.
“He’s matured and strengthened now,” Carter said.
The trainer compared the horse to a former All-Black who blossomed later than expected in his career, just as he hopes Motuman will.
“He’s always showed ability, but he was like a young, raw-boned second-rower – you could see the potential, like a young Colin Meads.”
Motuman broke his maiden three runs back and was then second at Tauranga before it smashed the field to record an eye-catching 12 length win at Rotorua last month.
He is the only horse in full work at present for Carter, who wears two hats within the thoroughbred industry.
“I’ve got a small block here and potter around with about a dozen horses,” he said.
“I break a few in for friends and I’ve got two-year-olds by Gorky Park broken in and coming along nicely.”