SHELBOURNE trainer Col Latter is the first to admit the form of his pacer I Am Marquez did not read well in the lead up to Thursday's night's meeting at Lord's Raceway.
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But neither was he surprised when the five-year-old gelding got up for a last gasp victory in the NR 52 to 55 pace to break a seven-month win drought.
"He's been knocking on the door. Even though his form didn't suggest that, he hasn't been too far off them (in recent runs)," Latter said.
"He's been a fairly good horse for us. We only paid $800 for him as a two-year-old and he's up around $28,000 in stakes.
"I thought he'd go pretty close. He was able to round them up at the end, which was nice."
Mark Hayes, who has driven I Am Marquez in all but one of the horse's 25 starts for four wins, was again in the sulky at Bendigo.
Latter indicated the gelding had always shown ability, despite being a handful as a youngster.
"He was a bit of a nut as a youngster and then we got Mark to drive him in a trial," he said.
"Mark is a great horseman, and we've stuck with him ever since.
"Next start, we'll find somewhere around the bush and try and win another one.
"I think he could mix it in town, but he would have to settle down a little bit. I'm sure he has the ability."
It was the first win of the 2019-20 season for Latter, who has had just eight starters.
He currently has a team of just four horses in work and has been a hobby trainer 'off and on' for the past 30 years.
Meanwhile, Maiden Gully trainer Maree Campbell made it a pair of wins for the locals following the maiden victory of Tom Kat.
The four-year-old gelding had not figured in the placings in five previous starts but was on his best behaviour at his second run back from a spell.
"We were starting to think he would never do it, but we are taking our time with him," Campbell said.
"We thought he should have gone well at Bendigo a couple of weeks ago, but two nights before his race he cut his leg. It was nothing to worry about, but whether that was enough to worry him I don't know and he galloped.
"We had given him a long spell before that. He galloped in his last race start (at Shepparton in June). so we thought we'd give him six months off and go back to basics and let him catch up.
"Mentally he wasn't very mature - little things would worry him.
"But he's matured and showed that the slow approach was all worth it (on Thursday) night."
A breakthrough win for Tom Kat ensured winners at consecutive Bendigo meetings for Campbell following the success of Belittled, who set a new track record, the previous Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday, Ross Graham notched his 15th winner of the season with a second career win - from 17 starts - for the five-year-old gelding Young Son.
The Sutton Grange trainer-driver now has four wins for the month, starting with Myrtle Vale at Melton on February 6, followed by Nephew of Sonoko (Melton, February 8), Animated (Melton, February 17) and Young Son.
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