Adriatic Pearl
Trish Dunell Photography
Jim Pender doesn't believe Adriatic Pearl has been given due credit, but that could all change in the coming weeks.
The Tauranga trainer, who also part-owns the grey mare, produced her for the fifth win of her 19-start career in Saturday's Capital Tractors Handicap on her home track and loftier targets now await the daughter of Zed.
"She's an under-rated mare and I think there's a nice winter race in her," said Pender, who gave thought to running her in the Listed Seeka Tauranga Classic.
"I tossed up about having a go at the fillies and mares' race, but thought this was the right way to go at this stage and maybe we'll look at that next year."
Adriatic Pearl, who had now won four times on her home turf, was coming off an unplaced run at Te Rapa, but Pender said the effort was better than it may have looked.
"She had no luck there and the track was too good for her. She had trained on well since then so I thought she'd run well."
Adriatic Pearl settled at the tail-end of the field on Saturday before rider Trudy Thornton urged her around runners with 600 metres to run.
"Things haven't gone her way lately, but I was confident today," she said. "She was back on her home track and she handles the deep ground. It's tough going out there so it was a really brave effort."
Adriatic Pearl came with a sustained finish to get the better of the favourite Arzak in the closing stages with the runner-up's stablemate Bowie third. – NZ Racing Desk.
The Tauranga trainer, who also part-owns the grey mare, produced her for the fifth win of her 19-start career in Saturday's Capital Tractors Handicap on her home track and loftier targets now await the daughter of Zed.
"She's an under-rated mare and I think there's a nice winter race in her," said Pender, who gave thought to running her in the Listed Seeka Tauranga Classic.
"I tossed up about having a go at the fillies and mares' race, but thought this was the right way to go at this stage and maybe we'll look at that next year."
Adriatic Pearl, who had now won four times on her home turf, was coming off an unplaced run at Te Rapa, but Pender said the effort was better than it may have looked.
"She had no luck there and the track was too good for her. She had trained on well since then so I thought she'd run well."
Adriatic Pearl settled at the tail-end of the field on Saturday before rider Trudy Thornton urged her around runners with 600 metres to run.
"Things haven't gone her way lately, but I was confident today," she said. "She was back on her home track and she handles the deep ground. It's tough going out there so it was a really brave effort."
Adriatic Pearl came with a sustained finish to get the better of the favourite Arzak in the closing stages with the runner-up's stablemate Bowie third. – NZ Racing Desk.