John Morrison is hoping he will be smiling like he was with Di Caprio last year, in tomorrow’s Methven Cup. Photo supplied.On Monday morning John Morrison was thinking he had a huge chance of winning tomorrow’s Methven Cup, but by lunchtime, the leading junior driver wasn’t quite so sure.

It wasn’t that he lost any confidence in his drive, Di Caprio, in the Group Three feature at the Mount Harding course, but more that the inclusion of two race rivals no-one expected to be there all of a sudden made the mountain a little steeper to climb.

They weren’t just any run of mill runners either.

One was current favourite for the New Zealand Trotting Cup next month, Self Assured, and the other is a horse who was superb when running second to him last week at Addington, stablemate, Spankem – both hailing from the powerful Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen stable, which has won seven of the last 10 Methven Cups.

“It certainly got a lot tougher when you saw their names down on the nominations,” Morrison said.

“But it hasn’t really dented my optimism too much to be fair, I still think I’ve got a horse capable of winning the race.

“I’ve never driven a horse as quick as him on the grass.

“In fact, he’s got speed on the grass that some horses couldn’t muster on the all-weather, he’s that quick.”

Sixth, fourth and then second in his three starts back for this campaign, Di Caprio went from being a relative unknown in the open class pacing ranks to one of many seemingly vying for spots just behind the heavy-hitters.

His second last time out behind Classie Brigade was excellent, and Morrison said he’s expecting an even better version to show up to Methven tomorrow.

“He looks a million dollars.

“All of Brian’s (trainer Brian O’Meara) horses look amazing, but he looks better than I have ever seen him look.”

Drawn the outside of the front line, Morrison knows the key to success will be a swift beginning, and he’s hoping he can find himself in a good spot without having to do too much extra early on in the 3000m race.

“That’s the key to it, if we can begin like he has been and find the right spot, he’s got to be a big chance – but that could determine it either way.”

A $10 chance in the race with bookmakers, Di Caprio and Morrison will be relying on a good result tomorrow to further enhance their possibilities of being a contender come the second Tuesday in November at Addington – a situation which would be a dream come true for the youngster.

“You grow up like I did, dreaming of driving in any race – let alone potentially a New Zealand Cup.

“It’s huge, and I’m just lucky that I’ve been given an opportunity to drive such a nice horse for a legendary trainer like Brian O’Meara.”

O’Meara, of course, trained the champion pacer Christian Cullen among many other top-flight horses, so knows what it takes to make it on the biggest of stages.

Currently ranked 14th on the order of entry for the Cup, a top three finish tomorrow would push him right into the fold, and all but ensure he gains a start.

While stepping out in the Methven Cup will be the highlight of the day for Morrison, a strong book of drives throughout the programme has him in good stead for another solid day at the office.

With 13 wins next to his name already for the season and drives such as Harrison and Standout, both of whom he trains, as well as the locally-trained Franco Josiah there’s a strong chance his season figure will be improved by Sunday evening.

But putting his name on a historic race like the Methven Cup, given his ties to the Mid Canterbury area, would be the ultimate for the rising star of the harness racing sport.

By Matt Markham © The Ashburton Guardian - 9 October 2020

Hannah King. Photo supplied.Hannah King and Bree Middleton have made the swimming podium their own this week.

The Ashburton teens have wasted no time in getting among the medals at the New Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships in Hamilton, securing personal best results in the process.

And there could be more to come, with events wrapping up today.

A total of seven medals have been clinched by the Mid Canterbury pair over the past few days, with King (14) securing four bronzes while Middleton (17) has pocketed a silver and two bronzes.

Middleton’s silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle 17-18 age category on Wednesday has been the high point thus far as she claimed a personal best.

She then backed this display up with age group bronzes in the 400 metre and 50 metre freestyle events on Thursday.

King began her stretch with a personal best performance in the 1500 metre freestyle on Tuesday where she claimed bronze in the age 14 category.

She added to her haul with bronze medals in the 100 metre breaststroke, 400 metre individual medley and 200 metre breaststroke.

Ashburton Swim Team member Henry King has also been in action this week.

Both Hannah and Middleton are involved in the 200 metre freestyle this morning, with Henry tackling the 50 metre back stroke.

Hannah also lines up in the 200 metre individual medley to be contested just after 11am today.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 9 October 2020

Ashlein Lyttle became the first ever recipient of the new Rhodes Trophy for Mid Canterbury Netball’s most improved umpire/umpire coach. Photo supplied.It may have been a shorter than usual season, but Mid Canterbury netball umpires have still made the most of every opportunity they’ve been given in 2020.

By the time the winter netball season came to an end, more than 20 Mid Canterbury netball umpires had earned themselves a well-deserved pat on the back, by taking the next step in their umpiring.

It began before a whistle had even been blown.

During the Covid-19 lockdown, Netball New Zealand still ran online theory exams for umpires, and four from Mid Canterbury made the most of that opportunity.

Ashlein Lyttle, Olivia Pearce, and Gianna Butler all sat and passed their Zone Theory, while Willow Diedricks sat and passed her New Zealand Theory.

That was before a centre pass was even thrown, and when the season eventually did get under way, the success kept on coming.

Lyttle well and truly made the most of the Covid-shortened season, by following up her Zone Theory pass, by also passing her Zone Practical, an impressive achievement.

At Centre level, Georgia Blundell, Claudia Thomas, and Jess Bleach all passed their Centre Practical, which saw them all make the step up from umpiring on a Saturday afternoon, to a Thursday night. All three made their Thursday night umpiring debut in the premier 3 grade.

Some of Mid Canterbury’s newest umpires are also rewarded by being presented with a Pre Centre award when they reach a certain level, which indicates they’re heading in the direction of a potential Centre Practical award in the future.

This year, a number of Pre Centres were handed out by Mid Canterbury’s team of umpire coaches and umpire coach assessors, with Malana Ngametua, Natalie Shaw, Bryony Digby, Aimee Cosgrove, Ciara Ross, Juliet Campbell, Bella Casey-Solly, Elyse McCallum, Emily Watson, Leah Reid, Leah Maw, Sabrina Cassineri, Piper O’Malley, Bill’e O’Brien, and Sophie Gibson the recipients.

Lyttle was also the first ever recipient of the new Rhodes Trophy for Mid Canterbury Netball’s most improved umpire/umpire coach.

Georgia Blundell was presented the Leath Cup for an umpire achieving at centre level, while her sister Charlotte Blundell was received the Donalda Mitchell Trophy, awarded to an umpire who regularly umpires at junior level and is always helpful when it comes to filling in and assisting with other duties at junior netball.

The Leech Cup, for a senior umpire achieving at regional and/or NZ level, went to Kevin Opele. He was one of the umpires who controlled this year’s ACL premier 1 final along with Natalie Corbett.

Mid Canterbury Netball centre manager Erin Tasker said each and every one of Mid Canterbury’s umpires should be proud of their achievements this season.

Umpires were a vital part of any game, and Tasker said Mid Canterbury was lucky to have a good core group of umpires, but they could always do with more.

“Many of our umpires are players, too, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

“Take Ashlein’s dad, Heath Lyttle, for example – he was a dad watching his daughter play netball, and now he’s one of our top umpires locally,” Tasker said.

© The Ashburton Guardian - 7 October 2020