Montoya Star
Race Images Palmerston North
The large southern contingent that will be in action throughout the Wellington Cup Carnival made their presence felt early in the piece when Montoya Star struck in the opening race at Trentham on Saturday.
The Michael and Matthew Pitman trained mare came north with a brace of wins under her belt and completed her hat-trick with a last-to-first performance in the Majestic Horse Floats sponsored rating 75 1600 metre contest.
The mare benefitted from a patient ride by Samantha Wynne as she bided her time at the rear of the seven horse field before unleashing a devastating home straight burst. A closing 600 metre sectional of 33.34 seconds, the third fastest by a winner on the day, told the story as the mare cruised away from her rivals to score by near on two lengths at the winning post.
A breathless Michael Pitman was all smiles after the race.
"Sorry I'm a bit out of breath as I was yelling and screaming," he admitted when questioned.
"This is my favourite track and I've been coming here for a long time."
Pitman expressed plenty of satisfaction with the performance after the mare had struggled to get a start earlier in this campaign.
"I had a bit of an argument with the handicapper because she kept getting balloted out and never got a start for two months," he explained.
"I said to them she's a way better horse than you think she is and I think we've proven that with her last three starts.
"I've thought for 12 months that she's a really good horse but she has suffered in the big fields we get down home. She's had that many checks and bumps and things like that.
"When she won at Dunedin I said to Sam (Wynne) that I didn't care whether she went round the outside fence as she will still beat them and she did."
Pitman indicated the mare could be seen again on one of the remaining three days of the Wellington Carnival, with a trip to Auckland during Ellerslie's Auckland Cup Week Carnival in March also a possibility. – NZ Racing Desk
The Michael and Matthew Pitman trained mare came north with a brace of wins under her belt and completed her hat-trick with a last-to-first performance in the Majestic Horse Floats sponsored rating 75 1600 metre contest.
The mare benefitted from a patient ride by Samantha Wynne as she bided her time at the rear of the seven horse field before unleashing a devastating home straight burst. A closing 600 metre sectional of 33.34 seconds, the third fastest by a winner on the day, told the story as the mare cruised away from her rivals to score by near on two lengths at the winning post.
A breathless Michael Pitman was all smiles after the race.
"Sorry I'm a bit out of breath as I was yelling and screaming," he admitted when questioned.
"This is my favourite track and I've been coming here for a long time."
Pitman expressed plenty of satisfaction with the performance after the mare had struggled to get a start earlier in this campaign.
"I had a bit of an argument with the handicapper because she kept getting balloted out and never got a start for two months," he explained.
"I said to them she's a way better horse than you think she is and I think we've proven that with her last three starts.
"I've thought for 12 months that she's a really good horse but she has suffered in the big fields we get down home. She's had that many checks and bumps and things like that.
"When she won at Dunedin I said to Sam (Wynne) that I didn't care whether she went round the outside fence as she will still beat them and she did."
Pitman indicated the mare could be seen again on one of the remaining three days of the Wellington Carnival, with a trip to Auckland during Ellerslie's Auckland Cup Week Carnival in March also a possibility. – NZ Racing Desk
