Trainer Arna Donnelly breathed a sigh of relief when Taipo crossed the line first at Alexandra Park on Thursday night.
"It was great to see him back to his best" said Donnelly. "Up until recently 2022 hadn't been his year. For one reason or another a number of things went wrong. After his impressive win at Cambridge in April we decided to give him a good spell and it seems to have worked the oracle.
"I knew when he stepped well and found the front he'd take some pegging back. He was well handicapped and generally loves 2200 metres.
"I'm rapt for his owners Kevin and Shirley Farrier and Ann McBeth who have been loyal to the bitter end."
The stable was also buzzing with the performance of Kango who found the line nicely after adding another 10 metres to his handicap. "It was just what the doctor ordered. He went into the race with only one quiet workout so I wasn't expecting him to set the world on fire. To get up for third was a super effort."
Both Taipo and Kango head back to Alexandra Park next week to contest the Spring Cup. Kango will then make his way to Christchurch to prepare for the NZ Cup.
