Melanie Elder joked that it's a lucky thing Man From Braavos has a big head, after the gelding took out the fifth heat, in a very close finish, and gained entry into the $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final at the Tamworth Paceway this Friday night.
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The race will form part of the Carnival of Cups Finals night, which will wrap up the Tamworth Harness Racing Club's January racing carnival.
Trained at Maitland by Elder, Man From Braavos won with a narrow margin of a head over another Hunter Valley runner in One For The Rodi (Michael Formosa).
"It was very close," said Elder, who watched the race unfold with her partner Joe Taaffe handling the reins.
"I had no idea who had won - just lucky the horse has got a big head which was a help."
"My concern coming into the race was the horse is so big and would he handle the track but he was comfortable in the run and handled the track."
From the nine barrier Man From Braavos settled at the back of the field with Taaffe electing to make a three-wide run mid-race securing the one-by-one racing position.
"It was a huge run by the horse and I am glad that Joe went when he did and got cover round him into the back straight. He is a tough horse and once he gets his head in front, he keeps fighting," Elder said.
On the final bend out of the back straight Taaffe was locked in a battle with Maitland Inter City pace winner One For The Rodi down the home straight.
"I felt confident when he turned into the home straight," Elder said.
"If we could get a similar result in the final would be nice - the horse just toughed it out in the home straight."
"I thought the barrier draw might have put us too far back but it was a 10/10 drive by Joe."
Back in 2017 Elder spent a year working in America learning more of her craft and was going to make a return to the states after visiting family. But that day is still yet to come.
"It was a good experience in America but I am pleased I decided to stayed at home now. Australia is home and now I have the opportunity to train my own horses," she said.
She has trained Ashark, another of her horses, to 21 wins and was part of a Group 1 race but a win in the Golden Guitar Final is set to be "emotional".
"The guitar final would be my next big race start and I will be emotional if we win on Friday as that is my late Nan's birthday," she said.
"I will be emotional from being proud of the horse as well as that he has come such a long way."
Man From Braavos has been at Elder's stable for 44 race starts and produced nine wins.
Elder will also be looking to "do it for the girls", being the lone female trainer to feature in the Golden Guitar Final.
"That sounds pretty good," she said.
"It will be good to do it for the girls."
With three horses in work, Elder as trainer and Taaffe as reinsman, divide their involvement in the sport with fulltime work, with Elder working in infrastructure for a civil engineering company and Taaffe as a diesel mechanic.
"Life is good, we enjoy our jobs and then come home and enjoy the horses," Elder said.
