Photo: Tayler Strong
Veteran galloper Our Echo showed all his fighting qualities when he clung on gamely to hold out a determined challenge from Perfect Scenario to capture the feature event at Wingatui, the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m)
Allowed to start at the luxurious price of $31 in the Fixed Odds market for the race, the Danny Frye-prepared eight-year-old had his chances discarded by punters, despite winning two of his previous three starts, due to his finishing last of seven runners on an unsuitable Heavy track at Ashburton six days earlier.
That performance proved an aberration as the son of Echoes Of Heaven is at his best when allowed to freewheel in the open spaces during a race and rider Tina Comignaghi achieved that to perfection as she sat on the tail of pacemaker Ears Back throughout.
Comignaghi asked the old boy for his effort shortly after straightening and he quickly mastered Ears Back and shot clear however Perfect Scenario, who was shooting for his third consecutive victory in the race, was stalking him at that point and angled into the clear to issue a stern challenge.
Getting closer with every stride Perfect Scenario put in a giant lunge at the winning post however he came up a nose short as Our Echo lasted to register his ninth and most important career victory.
Frye was sporting his normal cheeky grin when questioned about the performance and the road to the race after the horse had won at Trentham back in January.
“That was brilliant as we have kept him going through thick and thin and he has fronted up today,” Frye said.
“We were keen on starting in the Hazlett Stakes (Listed, 1400m) here after Trentham but through circumstances we ended up scratching which was a big call.
“We then went to Ashburton which was a bit of a misnomer as he is a big horse that we didn’t think would get through the heavy ground, but he had to have a run to get ready for today.
“We got it right and nailed it.
“I left things totally up to Tina as I was happy if he could get a sit but she was quite keen to be on the speed and she reads the races well and just loves the horse.
“Any race win is really cool but when it is a big race the anxiety builds up, but you just have to enjoy it.”
Trained at Balcairn by Frye, who shares ownership with eight others, Our Echo has recorded nine wins and 15 placings from his 47 starts and has accumulated over $406,000 in prizemoney.
