Only One Way forward for Trotter
By Jonny Turner
A grand old Southland trotting breed has delivered again for breeder-owner Neville Skinner.
Only One Way – (c) Monica Toretto
Skinner and his relatives David and Judy Ward and Grant McMaster enjoyed Diamonds Day success with Only One Way (Majestic Son-No Way-Armbro Invasion) who scored with authority for trainer Kirstin Barclay and driver Mark Hurrell.
The six-year-old’s dam No Way is from Whizz Way, trained by Skinner’s father the late Maurice Skinner.
Neville raced the mare along with Peter Williams whose ‘Way’ breed has produced good horses like Sundon’s Way (Sundon-Princess Way-Keystone Way), Ididitmyway (Sundon-Whizz Way-Gee Whiz II) and Outamyway (Love You-Do It Your Way-Sundon).
Neville and Maurice Skinner kept their arm of the breed going through No Way who has compiled a great record at stud.
Among the best of the ‘Way’ line is Only One Way’s half-brother to Alley Way (Monarchy), who was also raced by Skinner and his racing partners.
The trotter won 11 races and ran second in a Group One Dominion before he died of a heart attack while still of racing age.
Only One Way was in the racing wilderness until recently, but his career has been revived after some thorough efforts from his owners and some outstanding training from Kirstin Barclay.
The trotter showed plenty of talent for Phil Williamson, winning five races, but the master trainer knew the horse had more to offer.
“Phil and I had a good yarn about him, Phil couldn’t quite work him out and he reckoned he needed beach trained,” Skinner said.
“That is why we sent him up to Regan Todd’s.”
“He went two good trials at Rangiora then went out favourite in his next start at Addington and trotted terrible.”
“You could see on TV he wasn’t trotting right over the back, his back was all out of shape.”
“I rang Regan and said when we used to get trotters like that at Hedgehope they always had stifle problems.”
“So we got him looked at, they put the dye through him and sure enough he had a lot of inflammation around his stifles.”
“The vets in Canterbury said turn him out for six months, which we did.”
“Then Jamie Campbell jogged him up for six months.”
“He got kicked out in his paddock and the vet said he has got sore hocks and he needs straight lined trained.”
“So we injected his hocks and got Kirstin to train him on the beach and he has gone from strength to strength.”
The impressive manner in which Only One Way scored at Ascot Park suggests Skinner and his co-owners have plenty more instore with their trotter.
Skinner has been working with a Pegasus Spur three-year-old from No Way, who he thinks needs time.
Phil and Matthew Williamson and Steve Allen have a two-year-old by Sundon out of the mare.
No Way foaled a filly by Marcoola last year, bred by Kerryn Tomlinson.
Skinner plans to send the mare back to the rookie stallion in the spring.
