Shantav
Wild Range Photography
Shantav is proving to be a good advertisement for the conditioning skills of Barbara Verlinden.
The five-year-old is the first horse the Wingatui horsewoman has trained and he has responded to her approach with two wins and six placings.
"This is my first full season as a trainer," Verlinden said. "The horse was with Steve Tyler and I was his track rider at the time.
"He seems to like the environment here and we can work him on the farm and at the beach to keep him happy."
Shantav was successful on his home track last time out and he will attempt consecutive wins when he steps out in the Easy Made Marmalade Handicap at Oamaru on Thursday. He will be ridden by Courtney Barnes.
"He's working and eating well," Verlinden said. "We can't race him too often as he goes off his feed so we have to walk a fine line, take it a race at a time."
A son of Tavistock, he began life with Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett before transferring south to Tyler and now to Verlinden's stable.
"I've been around horses forever and had trekking stables in Queenstown and here," she said.
"I rode for Paul Richards when he was down here and then as a freelance track rider before getting my licence.
"Shantav is the only one I've got racing, but I've got a couple of others who should be running in the spring and another young one." – NZ Racing Desk.
The five-year-old is the first horse the Wingatui horsewoman has trained and he has responded to her approach with two wins and six placings.
"This is my first full season as a trainer," Verlinden said. "The horse was with Steve Tyler and I was his track rider at the time.
"He seems to like the environment here and we can work him on the farm and at the beach to keep him happy."
Shantav was successful on his home track last time out and he will attempt consecutive wins when he steps out in the Easy Made Marmalade Handicap at Oamaru on Thursday. He will be ridden by Courtney Barnes.
"He's working and eating well," Verlinden said. "We can't race him too often as he goes off his feed so we have to walk a fine line, take it a race at a time."
A son of Tavistock, he began life with Pukekohe trainer Richard Collett before transferring south to Tyler and now to Verlinden's stable.
"I've been around horses forever and had trekking stables in Queenstown and here," she said.
"I rode for Paul Richards when he was down here and then as a freelance track rider before getting my licence.
"Shantav is the only one I've got racing, but I've got a couple of others who should be running in the spring and another young one." – NZ Racing Desk.