Hobby trainer Phillip Giles secured the biggest win of his five-decade career in harness racing when Double Helix won a pulsating Arch Electrical Echuca Trotters Cup (2530m) on New Year’s Day.
The pocket rocket took out the $20,000 event by a short half-head after a stirring battle with Sangreal over the concluding stages.
Double Helix ($3.80 favourite) was driven by talented reinswoman Jackie Barker, who paid tribute to the seven-year-old’s courage during the latter stages.
“My little horse, he just kept on fighting,” Barker said post-race.
“I’d got to the front very easily and had a great run throughout the race, but I knew Sangreal was travelling on the back of us at the home turn, so it was going to be a great finish.”
That is how it panned out with the top two clearing out by 14m from third-place finisher Berriesandcherries.
For Barker, the Trotting Cup success continued her happy knack of feature success in Echuca having won the 2022 Pacing Cup with Demon Delight.
“It’s a big thrill to win this race for Phillip because I’ve driven Double Helix basically every start since he started training him,” Barker said.
“This win will mean the absolute world to him, and his family.”
Giles, who has four horses in work at his Great Western base, races Double Helix with his wife Tammy.
“John Meade bred him and he started his career with him, before going to Kate Hargreaves,” he said.
“I saw him advertised and bought him for $6000, he’s won about $60,000 since and has given us a lot of thrills, but tonight’s the biggest.
“He’s by far the best horse I’ve had, I turn 69 in January and first got my (trotters) driver’s licence when I was 18, so that’s how long I’ve been in harness racing.
“He’s a little horse, but he’s got guts and determination which was on show again tonight, he just keeps going.”
Asked how he would celebrate the success, Giles remarked.
“A coke and a smoke,” he said with a laugh.
Giles said the path to Echuca from Great Western had not been one he had travelled much previously.
“It’s about a three-hour trip and this is only the second time we’ve had a horse in at Echuca,” he said.
“The other time we came here was when Tammy trained one which finished second, so it’s good to go one better this time.”
Double Helix took his career record to 11 wins from 73 starts on the back of the victory, which lifted his prize money earnings to just shy of $90,000.
The Majestic Son gelding produced a lead time of 75.7 seconds before quarters of 33.0, 29.3, 29.6 and 29.5, an illustration of just how good Barker’s drive was.
Sangreal ($23) ran out of her skin for Team Caldow and showed the stand starts are her forte.
Berriesandcherries (Donna Castles) held off the luckless Grumpee (Chris Alford) for third.