Lowly Cambridge win still a rush for Bet On The Tiger’s successful American owners

Covid picked a bad time to stifle world travel for Florida owners Gordon Banks and Marc Hanover who continue to notch up the winners Down Under.

First it was Queensland Derby winner American Dealer, then Rising Sun, Blacks A Fake and Queen Of The Pacific heroine Amazing Dream, and now, albeit on a considerably lesser scale, Bet On The Tiger is starting to earn his stripes.

Banks hadn’t planned on watching Bet On The Tiger race at Cambridge tonight but happened to wake up at 1am US time, just in time to see the showy gelding lead all the way in the fourth race.

“We’re starting to believe our horses go better if we’re not there,” said Banks once a regular visitor to New Zealand with his cousin.

Gordon Banks at home in Florida.“We’ve missed a lot of good wins in New Zealand and Australia this season.

“We were hoping to be in Auckland for the sales next month but now maybe it won’t be until April or even later. If Omicron gets a hold there nobody will be coming into your country for a while.”

Banks knows all about the effects of the coronavirus.

“I got Covid a month ago. I was one of the first cases of Omicron in Florida - they didn’t realise at first it was a different variant.

“I was lucky but it wasn’t pleasant - in between a cold and the flu. Covid is still devastating here, there are 675,000 cases a day in the US and 150,000 a day in Florida.”

Banks and Hanover also enjoyed their best local season as owners in 2021 and in the last two years have won two Breeders Crown races with trotting filly Lady Chaos and Rocknificent.

But even though they have tasted the spoils of harness racing at the very highest level, winning a maiden at Cambridge still gets the juices running.

“If you have a passion for the sport, whether it’s a small or big race you get excited. It’s a rush and I love the competitiveness.

“I was always competitive in sport - back in college I was on the tennis, baseball and golf teams at the same time. And in high school John McEnroe and I were on the same tennis team.”

Banks says after rupturing the patella tendon in his knee a couple of years ago, the horses are now his alter ego.

Marc Hanover at the sales.Banks gave credit to driver Zachary Butcher for Bet On The Tiger’s easy one and three-quarter length win over debutant and favourite Crusader.

“Zac drove him very well. A couple of times he had easy fractions. A few times he kicked up to deter a challenge for the lead.”

But Banks believes that gelding Bet On The Tiger is the prime reason for his improvement.

“We gelded him two months ago which has helped him a lot. We’ve had Betting Lines who didn’t look like too much and uniformly they’ve picked up quite a bit after being gelded. Our trainer over here has had three or four who have all got better.

“This horse is much better gaited than he was. He wasn’t smooth before but you don’t notice it at all now.”

Banks recalls how trainer Ray Green had always liked Bet On The Tiger but had been frustrated that he couldn’t show his real ability.

“Ray couldn’t even get him to go the Cambridge way round at one stage. But he’s getting better with each race now, learning how to race and win.”

Banks says it’s not hard to get attached to Bet On The Tiger whom he describes as a beautiful horse.

“I remember when we bought him, Nigel (McGrath) said if he’d been a Bettor’s Delight he would have made six figures.”

Zachary Butcher salutes after tonight’s win on Bet On The Tiger. PHOTO: Chanelle Lawson.As it was the horse cost $50,000, his pedigree page well know to Kiwi and Aussie form students alike, with the family developed by Pukekohe stalwarts Pam and Lindsay Turner.

His first three dams are the well credentialled Tiger Tina (12 wins), Tiger Turner, 1999-2000 two-year-old of the year, and Tigerish (14 wins including four Group Ones).

“I remember the Tiger family when I used to come to New Zealand more. They were big horses and the good ones got better as they got older.”

Banks and Hanover tend to buy most of their yearlings in the States these days and concentrate on acquiring going horses in New Zealand.

“We have so many horses now but we intend to buy a few more - I’ll have to do some studying (of the catalogue).”

In the meantime they have a big weekend ahead of them with Amazing Dream taking on a hot field in Saturday night’s Ballarat Cup.

American Dealer (David Butcher) learned his trade at Lincoln Farms.Dealer now in New Jersey

And by late February they hope to see the Green protoge American Dealer back in action - this time right in their own back yard.

“We flew him over three weeks ago. He’s in New Jersey now with (Hall Of Fame trainer) Linda Toscano and so far she’s very happy with him.

“We debated sending him back to Ray. But when I spoke to him about the Taylor Mile and Messenger he told me all those races are now for four and five-year-olds and he could have been in against Copy That and Self Assured. Every race would have been difficult for him.

“We decided he was better off to come over here. Small tracks like Yonkers will really suit him.”

Banks says he’s been surprised by the reaction from locals who have become used to hearing talk about how small American Dealer is.

“They’re telling me he’s not that little. Maybe he grew on the plane.”