Race Images Palmerston North
A second thought might be rewarded with a major prize at Hawera on Thursday for Chris and Dick Bothwell.
The Stratford trainers hadn’t initially planned to run the lightly-raced Gordys Gesture at the meeting, but had a rethink when they saw the entries for the Energy City Motors Hawera Open.
“We didn’t originally put him in because it was an open handicap, but the nominations weren’t overly strong,” Chris Bothwell said.
“There aren’t any other suitable races around for him for the next few weeks either so we thought we’d run him.”
Raced by his Taumarunui breeder Denny Mortimer, Gordys Gesture has only 19 starts and the seven-year-old has won three races.
“He didn’t come in until he was a late three-year-old, he’s needed time and he doesn’t handle the good tracks,” Bothwell said.
Gordys Gesture has already rewarded connections this preparation with a dominant performance to score at Waverley two runs back and he then finished fifth at New Plymouth.
“He didn’t help himself at all last time out by missing the kick, but he came home really well,” Bothwell said.
Gordys Gesture has yet to tackle a middle distance, but he has been strong to the line to weigh in both times at 1800m and the extra distance isn’t expected to trouble him on Wednesday.
“We don’t think staying’s going to be a problem to him,” Bothwell said. – NZ Racing Desk.