Mr Luigi
Trish Dunell
Despite a home turn scare that had trainer Peter Lock thinking the worst, progressive galloper Mr Luigi added to his growing reputation with a comprehensive winning performance at Tauranga on the weekend.
The rangy Darci Brahma gelding sent a shudder through punters who had made him a warm favourite for the last race of the day as he stumbled badly when challenging for the lead on point of the home turn. Rider Sam Spratt took several strides to gather up her reins and rebalance her mount before setting him loose again as he powered away from his rating 65 rivals to score in emphatic fashion.
Lock was thankful nothing was amiss with his charge who looks certain to progress through to top company after producing such a performance on a day when a number of runners walked home due to the tough and testing nature of the waterlogged track conditions.
"My heart went in my mouth there for a moment as I thought he had broken down," admitted the Te Aroha based conditioner.
"My first instinct was he had done a tendon but when I saw Sam gather him up and he got going again I let out a pretty big sigh of relief.
"He has a huge amount of ability and we haven't seen anywhere near the best of him yet so it would have been a tragedy if he had of broken down just when he is starting to hit his straps."
Lock is quick to admit he believes the gelding has the ability to compete with the top echelon and not just on the deep winter tracks.
"I believe he will be just as competitive on good tracks as he is now when it's wet," he said.
"He got beaten in 1.09 for 1200 metres at Tauranga as a maiden and was wide all the way so that gives me confidence to think he can handle the better going. He's only really starting to fully mature as he is by a Zabeel mare so come the spring I think he will be the real deal."
Lock will now sit down with owner Trevor Sargent and plot the gelding's path over the next few months.
"I'm thrilled for Trevor as he has raced horses with me for over thirty years and I think we've got a real good one for him," he said.
"I'll have a chat with Trevor about what he wants to do with him but I would guess we will have a crack in the next grade and then we might look at what there is on offer leading into the spring." –NZ Racing Desk
The rangy Darci Brahma gelding sent a shudder through punters who had made him a warm favourite for the last race of the day as he stumbled badly when challenging for the lead on point of the home turn. Rider Sam Spratt took several strides to gather up her reins and rebalance her mount before setting him loose again as he powered away from his rating 65 rivals to score in emphatic fashion.
Lock was thankful nothing was amiss with his charge who looks certain to progress through to top company after producing such a performance on a day when a number of runners walked home due to the tough and testing nature of the waterlogged track conditions.
"My heart went in my mouth there for a moment as I thought he had broken down," admitted the Te Aroha based conditioner.
"My first instinct was he had done a tendon but when I saw Sam gather him up and he got going again I let out a pretty big sigh of relief.
"He has a huge amount of ability and we haven't seen anywhere near the best of him yet so it would have been a tragedy if he had of broken down just when he is starting to hit his straps."
Lock is quick to admit he believes the gelding has the ability to compete with the top echelon and not just on the deep winter tracks.
"I believe he will be just as competitive on good tracks as he is now when it's wet," he said.
"He got beaten in 1.09 for 1200 metres at Tauranga as a maiden and was wide all the way so that gives me confidence to think he can handle the better going. He's only really starting to fully mature as he is by a Zabeel mare so come the spring I think he will be the real deal."
Lock will now sit down with owner Trevor Sargent and plot the gelding's path over the next few months.
"I'm thrilled for Trevor as he has raced horses with me for over thirty years and I think we've got a real good one for him," he said.
"I'll have a chat with Trevor about what he wants to do with him but I would guess we will have a crack in the next grade and then we might look at what there is on offer leading into the spring." –NZ Racing Desk