Off n Racing Syndications enjoyed a memorable night at Addington on Friday, with Suttle and Didn’t Di delivering a winning double for two different Woodend Beach stables.

For Off n Racing principal Andrew Fitzgerald, the victories were particularly satisfying, with the two trotters arriving in the operation through very different avenues.

Suttle has been on the radar from the beginning.

The three-year-old daughter of Tactical Landing and Lovemelikeyoudo was Fitzgerald’s standout trotting filly at the 2024 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Successfully purchased by Diamond Racing, Off n Racing Syndications were quick to secure a shareholding in the filly alongside a number of established Diamond Racing owners.

And it didn’t take long for Suttle to suggest that faith was well placed.

Prepared by Robert and Jenna Dunn, she was up and running early as a two-year-old and finished second behind Redpark Warrior on debut in Auckland.

Growing pains would soon interrupt that campaign and while she returned with another second placing in September last year, a break at her following start highlighted some of the issues that have followed her throughout the early stages of her career.

A move south to Christchurch saw her finish third behind Kyvalley Ray in the Harness Millions 2YO Final before she rounded out her juvenile campaign with a second behind Becky’s Girl at Group 3 level.

The results were there, but so too were the frustrations.

The ability has never really been the question with Suttle. Getting all of that ability heading in the same direction has been the challenge.

Following her Group 3 placing she was sent for a lengthy spell, which included having chips removed from her hocks, before the Dunn stable embarked on a patient build-up toward her return.

That patience was rewarded at Addington.

Returning to the races after close to 10 months away, Suttle produced a winning performance for driver John Dunn — and importantly, showed signs that some of the quirks which had previously held her back are beginning to improve.

“She has been a bit of a headache, there’s no doubting the ability but her steering has just been letting her down,” Dunn said.

“She seems to anticipate the bends, but she handled the last bend a lot better than she has been.

“I think there are still some things to work on which will hopefully improve her even more.”

Suttle will now be aimed toward the Group 2 Macca Lodge Sires’ Stakes 3YO Trotting Fillies Classique at Addington on September 18, where she will get the opportunity to test herself against some of the leading fillies of her crop.

While Suttle’s victory was the culmination of a long-term project, Off n Racing’s involvement with fellow winner Didn’t Di is considerably more recent.

The five-year-old Majestic Son gelding has been a revelation since joining the Matt Purvis stable at Woodend Beach and continued an outstanding season with another victory on Friday night.

Off n Racing was given the opportunity to purchase into Didn’t Di five months ago, opening the door for another 98 syndicate members to become involved in the gelding.

He has given them plenty to cheer about.

Friday night’s victory took his season record to 15 starts for three wins, three seconds and three thirds, with more than $35,000 in stakes earned.

And the latest win came after a couple of starts where circumstances had done him few favours.

Following a disappointing performance at Oamaru, Purvis took Didn’t Di back to the trials to gain his mobile-start clearance.

That decision paid an immediate dividend when he stepped behind the mobile for the first time at Addington.

Driver Robbie Close was able to make use of his starting position and work forward before eventually taking a trail behind Hoof It Hagrid.

With the leader rolling through strong sectionals, Close was able to bide his time before bringing Didn’t Di into clear air in the straight.

From there, the gelding’s turn of foot did the rest.

“He got out of the gate well and once John Dunn came looking, he was the right one to follow,” Close said.

“I knew Johnny’s horse was going to lay in up the straight and Sunny likes to run out in the straights, so I came to the outside into clear air.

“He showed his good turn of foot to run down the leader in good time.”

The victory continued what has been an impressive turnaround since Didn’t Di joined the Purvis stable and carried some added significance for his trainer.

It was career training win number 199 for Purvis, leaving the Woodend Beach horseman just one victory away from bringing up the 200-win milestone.

Connections will now sit down and decide where Didn’t Di heads next, although one major target already looms large.

The five-year-old has already qualified for the Harness 5000 in December and, on what he has shown throughout his current campaign, looks a genuine contender for the rich end-of-year feature.

For Off n Racing, Friday night’s double was another rewarding result for an ownership model built around bringing large groups of people into horses at an affordable level.

In Suttle, they have a filly they have believed in since the day she walked through the sales ring at Karaka.

In Didn’t Di, 98 syndicate members have been taken on a ride with a horse enjoying the best season of his career.

On Friday night at Addington, both stories ended in the same place — the winner’s circle.