Consistent customer Kolonel Kev returned to winning form at Trentham on Saturday when he upset the favourites in a small but select field in the Merial Ancare Premier 1600.

The five-year-old gelding was scoring his fifth career victory off the back of two handy placings following a disappointing campaign at Riccarton during New Zealand Cup Week back in November. Trainer Lisa Latta was looking for answers after those out of character performances and found them with a gear change for his most recent appearances.

“When we took him to Riccarton he went pretty bad down there,” she noted.

“He was sort of making a bit of a gargling noise when pulling up so we put the tongue tie on him for the last two and it has really improved him.

“We also knew we had to ride him a bit quieter and get him off the bridle. He didn’t draw well so I just said go back and ride for a bit of luck. ”

Rider Jonathan Riddell, who was scoring the first leg of a winning double for the day, followed those instructions to the letter as he sat back last in the six strong field for most of the journey. Showing an abundance of patience, Riddell waited for a gap to appear one off the fence in the run home before driving his mount through to contest the finish.

Kolonel Kev showed plenty of fight as he held out the challenges of race favourite Beefeater and northern visitor Irish Call to score by a head at the line.

Riddell was a satisfied man after the race.

“He’s been a little disappointing but he does have plenty of ability,” he said.

“You’ve just got to switch him off and look for that late run as he puts in that way.

“They went a bit of a canter but that’s what you get in small fields.”

The victory took Kolonel Kev’s career prizemoney past the $150,000 mark for owner Kevin Pratt who races the gelding under his Kamada Racing banner. A full brother to the gelding will be offered as Lot 827 from the Pencarrow Stud draft during the Select session of the upcoming National Yearling Sale Series at Karaka.