Persuasive
Kenton Wright Race Images
Consistency was rewarded in the last race of the day at Ellerslie on Saturday as handy mare Persuasive finally put another victory on the board following a winless drought that stretched nearly two years.
The now six-year-old had looked a galloper of real class during the early stages of her career where she tallied three wins from her first eight starts. A combination of bad luck and a wind operation blunted some of that early promise however she had continued to pay her way through a series of placed efforts.
Saturday's rating 85 1200 metre contest looked a prime opportunity to right the ship with the mare aided by a three kilogram claim from apprentice Sam Weatherley and so it proved as she managed to fend off the attentions of stablemate Secret Spirit to notch a deserved victory.
"She is a very genuine mare who tries her heart out," noted co-trainer Lance O'Sullivan.
"She has probably reached her mark so we just have to try and place her right. Getting the claim with Sam was the key on Saturday as 51kilograms was a luxurious weight to carry and made the difference in the end.
"She has a very short sprint and having had a wind operation it can make it tough to get the air she needs but Sam held her up nicely and she finished off well."
O'Sullivan was also pleased with the performance of the runner-up, Secret Spirit. The multiple stakes winning four-year-old was having her second start off a six month break following an unplaced run in the Gr. 1 One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.
"She had a tough run on a very wet track first up so it was nice to see her bounce back like that," he said.
"She is getting fitter all the time and while the tracks still have give in them she will be competitive in the right grade."
O'Sullivan and training partner Andrew Scott will now turn their attention to the first day of the Hawkes Bay spring carnival this Saturday where former Hong Kong galloper Willie Cazals will line-up as he prepares to tackle the Gr. 1 Livamol Classic later in the carnival.
"We were delighted with his first-up run at Te Rapa so it's really a matter now of getting as many races into him as we can before the last day at Hawkes Bay," he outlined.
"He will go to Hawkes Bay this Saturday and then possibly to Awapuni a fortnight later but that will depend on the track being drier than it is at present. We are also considering the Counties meeting on the 18th of September as an option if Awapuni doesn't suit.
"Being a nine-year-old we just need to get him racing to get his fitness levels to peak before we tackle the Livamol Classic." – NZ Racing Desk
The now six-year-old had looked a galloper of real class during the early stages of her career where she tallied three wins from her first eight starts. A combination of bad luck and a wind operation blunted some of that early promise however she had continued to pay her way through a series of placed efforts.
Saturday's rating 85 1200 metre contest looked a prime opportunity to right the ship with the mare aided by a three kilogram claim from apprentice Sam Weatherley and so it proved as she managed to fend off the attentions of stablemate Secret Spirit to notch a deserved victory.
"She is a very genuine mare who tries her heart out," noted co-trainer Lance O'Sullivan.
"She has probably reached her mark so we just have to try and place her right. Getting the claim with Sam was the key on Saturday as 51kilograms was a luxurious weight to carry and made the difference in the end.
"She has a very short sprint and having had a wind operation it can make it tough to get the air she needs but Sam held her up nicely and she finished off well."
O'Sullivan was also pleased with the performance of the runner-up, Secret Spirit. The multiple stakes winning four-year-old was having her second start off a six month break following an unplaced run in the Gr. 1 One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.
"She had a tough run on a very wet track first up so it was nice to see her bounce back like that," he said.
"She is getting fitter all the time and while the tracks still have give in them she will be competitive in the right grade."
O'Sullivan and training partner Andrew Scott will now turn their attention to the first day of the Hawkes Bay spring carnival this Saturday where former Hong Kong galloper Willie Cazals will line-up as he prepares to tackle the Gr. 1 Livamol Classic later in the carnival.
"We were delighted with his first-up run at Te Rapa so it's really a matter now of getting as many races into him as we can before the last day at Hawkes Bay," he outlined.
"He will go to Hawkes Bay this Saturday and then possibly to Awapuni a fortnight later but that will depend on the track being drier than it is at present. We are also considering the Counties meeting on the 18th of September as an option if Awapuni doesn't suit.
"Being a nine-year-old we just need to get him racing to get his fitness levels to peak before we tackle the Livamol Classic." – NZ Racing Desk