The Star: October 12, 2023

The Star Thursday October 12 2023
22
RACING
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Millwood Nike goes 15 from 15
• By Michael Guerin
WHERE THERE could have
been nerves for young driver
Olivia Thornley last week there
was only belief.
And Millwood Nike didn’t let
her or the punters down, with a
winning resumption at Addington
on Thursday night, where
the only harness star to shine
brighter was Thornley herself.
The 23-year-old reinswoman
was handed the hottest sulky seat
in harness racing when she was
asked to drive Millwood Nike in
her Nevele R 50 Years of Success
heat as co-trainer Mark Purdon
and logical back-up Blair Orange
were suspended.
Thornley is no stranger to
Millwood Nike, having driven
her to win her first two races, but
the expectation on the superstar
filly is so much greater now, going
into her comeback race on
14-straight wins.
“I know there was some pressure
there because you don’t
want to be the first driver to get
her beaten,” said Thornley.
“I suppose I could have been
nervous but I knew what I had in
front of me.”
Punters wouldn’t have been so
calm as rival driver Carter Dalgety
did every thing he could to
beat the $1.10 favourite as Sweet
Coco led and latched on, seemingly
having Millwood Nike off
the bit at the 350m. We should
have known better.
Once the field straightened
and Millwood Nike got balanced,
Thornley asked her for
her best and she changed gears
and gathered in the leader easily,
going away at the line.
“I can see how she might have
looked in trouble but she gave
me a great drive, she just relaxed
outside Carter’s horse.
“When I asked, she knew what
to do.”
So Millwood Nike is 15 from
15 and will head to another
Nevele R heat at Ashburton
before the final on Cup Day and
then maybe two races ending her
season in the NZ Oaks.
Thornley won that race last
season on No Matter Wat, who
has just been retired.
“To get another drive on this
girl so close to No Matter Wat
being retired was very special.”
The whole night was special for
Thornley as she also drove Chase
A Dream to win his Woodlands
Sires’ Stakes heat and Waterford
to win the Dunstan Horsefeeds
Fillies Juvenile heat to give her
a clean sweep of the features
on the first night of the New
Zealand junior drivers’ championship,
for which she ironically
didn’t qualify.
“I’ve actually never qualified
for it but this makes up for that.
I am lucky to drive some pretty
amazing horses,” she said.
Chase A Dream swooped late
to win his heat over Hadron
Collider and Miki’s Courage in
a race that saw the first defeat of
Vessem, who worked hard early
TRIUMPH: Olivia Thornley drove Millwood Nike to
win the Nevele R 50 Years of Success heat last week.
Thornley’s success is a repeat of last season, where
she won on the retired No Matter Wat.
but still finished only fifth while
the other early burner Miki’s
Courage finished in front of him.
“He (Chase A Dream) has really
improved and keeps getting
better so I think he is in for a
good campaign,” said Thornley.
Waterford is also improving at
the right time as she led home an
All Stars trifecta in the juvenile
girls heat.
She showed good gate speed to
lead then trail Madrid and catch
her late suggesting there is not
much between several in this
crop as the major juvenile races
approach.
– Harness Racing Desk
• Big wins in Australia,
page 33