NEW ZEALAND’S CHEREE WIGG WINS 2ND LEG OF USA-NEW ZEALAND FRIENDSHIP COMPETITION

by john manzi for NAADA

The second leg of the three-track international Friendship competition between the visiting New Zealanders and the hometown NAADA team was contested Tuesday night (Oct. 17) on the betting card at Yonkers Raceway and when the judges hung the official sign the Kiwi’s Cheree Wigg emerged victorious with Big Turn On in a 1:57.1 clocking. Second place went the New Zealand’s Gavin Cook while the USA’s Jennifer Lappe saved face for the NAADA team by finishing third.

But the race was dominated by the talented ladies with the Kiwi’s Colleen Nequs finishing fourth giving the visitors three of the first four placings.

When the starting judge said “Go” New Zealand’s Mike Maynard charged to lead from the six-hole with 62-1 shot Every Intention and they had command at the first stanza as the timer flashed :28.1. Still in command as they passed the halfway point in :57.2 the early fractions soon began to take toll on the leader.

Second, but tiring, as they paced by the three quarters in 1:27.1 Maynard and Every Intention watched as Ms Wigg and Big Turn On zoomed by to take command. In the lane Big Turn On was the strong horse and rebuffed a late charges from both Dirty Devil (Gavin Cook) and Lucky Man (Jennifer Lappe) to score a solid one length triumph.

“It was great,” Cheree Wigg said via telephone about her driving victory tonight at Yonkers. “I got away OK from the mobile in third place, followed the leaders and then popped out at the three quarters and skipped away on the turn. My horse was strong and held off the others to win it.”  The winner, a six year-old altered son of Mr. Big, is owned by Joseph Di Francesco and trained by Bruno Nicolo. He paid $12.20 for win and set up a $75.50 all-Kiwi exacta.

The final leg of the USA-New Zealand Friendship Competition will be contested tomorrow (Wednesday) at Monticello Raceway where two events are slated as races three and six on the 10-card.