Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Motorsport
Netball
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
All Blacks squad named Monday 12pmForsman scores Winter Series Finals double
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • June 20th, 2026 5:21 pm
Elen Nicholas returns victorious aboard Orson Stone following the The Lawn Shed Winter Series – Progressive Final (1600m). Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman had a rewarding day at Ellerslie on Saturday when securing a winning double at The Lawn Shed Winter Finals Day.
He started the meeting off in perfect fashion when his pair of Yaldi and Mr Mojo Risin’ scored the quinella in The Lawn Shed Winter Series – Sprinters Final (1400m).
The geldings were two of the form runners heading into the race, having both won at their previous starts, and were duly supported in the market, with Yaldi jumping a $3.30 favourite, while Mr Mojo Risin’ was a $6.20 third elect, with Te Akau’s Pokuru Gold splitting the pair at $4.60.
From the jump, jockey Matt Cartwright took Yaldi back early to sit second last, while Mr Mojo Risin’ enjoyed an economical passage in the trail behind pacemaker Mosinvader, who set a sedate tempo upfront.
Down the home straight, apprentice jockey Tom Wigram was struggling to find a gap aboard Mr Mojo Risin’, but Cartwright had no such problems out wide, biding his time before pushing the go button on his charge with 200m to go and he quickly bounded to the lead. Mr Mojo Risin’ finally found some clear air and stormed home late to come within a short head of his stablemate, while Pokuru Gold was a further head back in third.
“It was a great ride from Matty, he held him up for as long as he could, there wasn’t much tempo with the stablemate not able to establish the lead, which was always going to be the concern,” Forsman’s racing manager Joe Walker said. “It probably lacked tempo, but he is becoming more tractable, and I think the penny is finally starting to drop.”
Walker was also pleased with the performance of Mr Mojo Risin’, who was backing up a week after his win at Wanganui last Saturday.
“He can mix his form, so to see him put two together like that and go close to winning was a fantastic effort,” Walker said.
Winning jockey Matt Cartwright was rapt to score his second consecutive victory on Yaldi, who he said can be a bit of a handful.
“I am glad that he has got a few wins because he is a tricky horse and he lays in quite badly on top of horses and he got there today,” Cartwright said.
“He ranges up and has a good turn of foot when you actually ask him, you just don’t want to hit the front too soon, and I tried to bide my time as long as I could. He has put two together on the bounce, so hopefully he goes on with it. He is a horse with ability.”
Walker said both runners will likely head to the spelling paddock shortly.
“They are probably starting to come to the end of their campaigns, and they both need reasonable enough footing, so we will get them home and see how they come through it, but we are thrilled to run one and two,” he said.
Later on the card, the Gerry Harvey-bred and raced Orson Stone was rewarded for his recent run of good form with victory in The Lawn Shed Winter Series – Progressive Final (1600m), securing the stable double.
“He has been building, his runs all prep have been very consistent,” Walker said. “He probably beat himself a couple of times, being slow away, but he was able to jump with them today. He just needed some clean air and it was a good, patient ride.
“He will keep strengthening up and keep developing, he will get better and better. He is a relaxed customer, so he will be able to get over a little bit more ground than this.”
Jockey Elen Nicholas echoed those sentiments and said she was pleased to get the win for the stable.
“We got a bit further back than I would have wanted, but it really didn’t matter in the end because he settled so beautifully and flew home down the outside, so I am very happy with him,” Nicholas said. “He is as honest as they come.”
With a win under his belt, Walker said Orson Stone may have one further run over winter.
“It is hard to say how he will handle deep, heavy tracks, but he is flying and if we can find another reasonable surface I think we will have a go,” Walker said. “He will tell us pretty quickly I think.”
