Babe
Trish Dunell
A return to winning form on the weekend could now see promising three-year-old filly Babe tackle stakes company for her next assignment.
Unsighted in the winner's circle since a confident victory on debut last August, the O'Reilly filly finally put it all together to snatch a narrow but deserved win on her home track when she triumphed in a driving finish to the Vadamos at Rich Hill 1400 at Matamata.
Trainer Graham Richardson, who also produced third placegetter Secret Stash, cut a relieved figure as he accepted congratulations after the race.
"It was a gutsy effort with the blinkers going on," he noted.
"She's had a lot of misfortune in her races while she also jarred up quite badly at Te Rapa one day.
"She's raced against some of the best three-year-olds in the country so she deserved that."
Rider Michael McNab was also quick to pay tribute to the courage of his mount.
"We ended up in the trail with the favourite outside us and although she's only little she pushed him out of the way to make her run," he explained.
"I didn't have a whole lot of room but she let down well. I actually think she could have put them away even easier if she had of had more room."
Richardson was forthright in his desires for the filly as he plans her immediate future.
"I'd love to get some black type with her," he said.
"I'll have a talk to her owners to see if they are keen to go down to the Wellington Guineas."
The Grant Plumbing Gr. 2 Wellington Guineas is one of the feature events at Trentham on Saturday 19 March. – NZ Racing Desk
Unsighted in the winner's circle since a confident victory on debut last August, the O'Reilly filly finally put it all together to snatch a narrow but deserved win on her home track when she triumphed in a driving finish to the Vadamos at Rich Hill 1400 at Matamata.
Trainer Graham Richardson, who also produced third placegetter Secret Stash, cut a relieved figure as he accepted congratulations after the race.
"It was a gutsy effort with the blinkers going on," he noted.
"She's had a lot of misfortune in her races while she also jarred up quite badly at Te Rapa one day.
"She's raced against some of the best three-year-olds in the country so she deserved that."
Rider Michael McNab was also quick to pay tribute to the courage of his mount.
"We ended up in the trail with the favourite outside us and although she's only little she pushed him out of the way to make her run," he explained.
"I didn't have a whole lot of room but she let down well. I actually think she could have put them away even easier if she had of had more room."
Richardson was forthright in his desires for the filly as he plans her immediate future.
"I'd love to get some black type with her," he said.
"I'll have a talk to her owners to see if they are keen to go down to the Wellington Guineas."
The Grant Plumbing Gr. 2 Wellington Guineas is one of the feature events at Trentham on Saturday 19 March. – NZ Racing Desk