Promising hurdler Quid (NZ) (Rios) delivered the result all the punters had anticipated at Woodville on Sunday when he powered away with the Gladiators and Eye Ota (3000m).
A winner of three on the flat, Quid undoubtably brought the strongest form into the race, having finished a narrow second to Our Daymo when the pair went to war in a maiden hurdle at Trentham in late June. Despite that performance, the TAB opened the Kevin Myers-trained gelding at $4 during the week, which was swiftly snapped up, and he closed at just $1.40.
In the hands of Kylan Wiles, Quid stepped away positively but was allowed to slide back through the pack, as Au Revoir and Ronin Porotene strode out to share the early lead. The gelding was full of running along the back straight and cruised into contention at the 600m, where he drew level with talented steeplechaser Captains Run.
Quid and Captains Run looked set to fight out the finish, but the former’s ability on the flat shone through after negotiating the second to last fence, skipping away to score by an extending five lengths.
Jason Myers, who represented his father at the meeting, shared the market’s confidence in his charge.
“He’s a bit of stable favourite and has been the bridesmaid a couple of times,” he said. “It was a great run last time, he was just run down on the line by quite a nice horse of Raymond Connors’.
“He’s probably a better horse ridden back, so I wasn’t too concerned when the pace went off and a few went around him – we were always confident.
“Kylan is riding really well this season, he’s making the most of a lot of opportunities and wouldn’t be far off in the jumps premiership now too.
“The plan has always been to get this horse down to Riccarton, he’s just had a couple of setbacks this time in but pulling up well today, that’s most likely where we’ll head to.”
A son of Rios, Quid was bred and raced by Michael Wallace, who won the 2021 Hawke’s Bay Steeplechase (4800m) and Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) with the Myers-trained Yardarm, Quid’s half-brother. The stable also prepare the gelding’s full relation in Lochwinnoch, who has won six races.
Running well into fourth position was another of the stable’s runners in Prince Turbo (NZ) (Alamosa), a former Koral Steeplechase (5600m) winner who had been off the scene for over 18 months after sustaining an injury.
“He’s been doing quite a lot of work at home, just trying to build him into his preparation,” Myers said. “He had a tendon injury at the start of last year.
“I was really happy with his run, he was hitting the line nicely and we’re looking at getting him to Riccarton as well.”
The Myers team swiftly doubled up on the Woodville card, with The Republican (NZ) (The Bold One) taking out the Dannevirke Carriers and Woodville Service Centre (3000m), with Wiles’ brother Corey in the saddle on this occasion.