Gingernuts Delivers a Packet for Punters

stuff.co.nz reports:

There's no denying Gingernuts grows in popularity with each start.

The son of Iffraaj was backed for a fortune in Saturday's Group I Windsor Park Plate at Hastings and paid the believers.

His legion of fans sent him out at $2.90 by the time the barriers were released in the $200,000 race and the orange army can thank jockey Opie Bosson for an inch perfect ride.

Bosson has been battling weight issues of late, but comfortably made the 58.5kg Gingernuts was required to carry and he made a difference.

The talented rider made a winning decision about 600m from home in the 1600m contest when he tacked on to a move being made by Jason Waddell aboard arch rival Kawi.  Kawi gave him a perfect drag into the home straight battle and momentarily, it appeared the two were going to battle out the finish.

But winner of the first leg of the Hawke's Bay triple crown, Close Up ridden by the wily veteran Grant Cooksley joined the fray and was the one to issue Gingernuts with the sternest challenge.

Gingernuts had enough in the tank to drive hard for the line to hold Close Up by a short neck with a length and a-quarter back to Kawi and a length and a-half to Underthemoonlight in fourth.

"I got in behind Kawi and got a beautiful track into the race," Bosson said. "And he dug deep.

"He's an exciting horse and he's still learning the trade."

The big group of fans on track wearing G-Nut caps and cheering their horse home are getting plenty of excitement.

"It's super exciting," syndicate member Blair Alexander told Trackside. "How he plunged in the betting I think people recognise the name and back the horse, he's just got a lot of fans."

A large number of smaller bets were accompanied by plenty of wagers around $2,000 and $3,000 on the winner.

With three Group I wins, six wins in total from 11 starts and around $1.2 million in earnings he's achieved a lot for a 4-year-old but big targets lie ahead.

The Te Akau team will take a day or two to decide what they are but he is entered for the Livamol Classic (2000m) in a fortnight, while Australia also beckons.