Tauranga Trainer Mark Blackie has high hopes for his four-year-old, Blood Warrior after an all the way win at Ellerslie on Queen's Birthday Monday.

This was only the second start for the lightly raced chestnut, but it convincingly headed home the field in the Barfoot and Thompson 1200, to record his second win from two starts.

'The horse has also won three trials, and Blackie will next take him to Ruakaka at the end of the month, before deciding on whether to try him in Australia,” says Racing Tauranga general manager Andrew Love.

'It's been a good year so far for Blackie, recording five wins this season, after he resumed training a couple of years back.

'Initially he had trained in the Waikato in the early and late nineties but is taking it more seriously this time.”

Another of Mark's charges, Le Castile, has recorded three wins this season, and the finished 5th in the Group 1 Breeders stakes at Te Aroha in April.

Ellerslie is proving to be a happy hunting ground for local trainers, with Peter Huxtable and his horse Come Back Tiger, winning the Racing Images 1400, three weeks back.

'After receiving severe interference in the straight, first across the line Campari was relegated to 2nd after a stewards inquiry, giving Come Back Tiger his 2nd career win. From 15 starts, Come Back Tiger has only been out of the prize money twice.”