Silhouette Noire
Trish Dunell
Former southern mare Silhouette Noire chose the perfect time to showcase her undoubted talent when she provided the icing on co-owner Charles Hall's 75th birthday cake with an upset victory at Te Rapa.
Hall and wife Anne-Marie de Spa sent their five-year-old Dane Shadow mare north in search of further black-type opportunities after meeting Cambridge trainer Lee Somervell during one of his visits to Riccarton with star galloper Addictive Habit. Silhouette Noire had won five of her first 22 starts from Terri Rae's Riccarton stable before arriving at Somervell's base earlier in the year.
"Terri had done a super job with her and she arrived in terrific condition," noted Somervell.
"She had her first two starts for me at Ellerslie and didn't really cope with going right handed for the first time. I think she will be okay going that way once she learns how to handle it but returning to her familiar left-handed way around was the key on Saturday.
"Her work during the week had been first class so I was confident she would run well although her price didn't indicate anyone else thought that way."
Punters certainly abandoned the mare on her disclosed North Island form with her $40 plus tote price making her the rank outsider of the ten horse field. That counted for little as rider Trudy Thornton bided her time in midfield before producing a powerful home straight burst to score by a head from race favourite Bonniegirl.
"It was a lovely ride by Trudy as she held her up before putting her in the race halfway down the straight where she was very strong to the line," said Somervell.
"We were pretty keen for her to perform well on Saturday as I have my eye on the Listed race at Rotorua over 1400 metres in a fortnight as her next challenge and I thought we'd need the form to make the field.
"That should be sorted out now and with Rotorua being left-handed I'm keen to get her there if she comes through this one well."
Somervell was pleased with the run of his other class mare, Celebrity Miss, who finished 6th in the Gr. 2 Travis Stakes behind impressive winner Rasa Lila.
"She just found it a little firm for her although she went a very pleasing race," he said.
"I had been hoping for some rain as I think she would have been right in it with a little moisture in the track. She pulled up well but I'm not sure what to do with her now as there's just nothing around for her."
Somervell also reported Addictive Habit was doing well as he recuperates from a tendon tear suffered during a build-up towards a start in the Gr. 1 Doncaster Handicap during the recent Sydney autumn carnival. – NZ Racing Desk
Hall and wife Anne-Marie de Spa sent their five-year-old Dane Shadow mare north in search of further black-type opportunities after meeting Cambridge trainer Lee Somervell during one of his visits to Riccarton with star galloper Addictive Habit. Silhouette Noire had won five of her first 22 starts from Terri Rae's Riccarton stable before arriving at Somervell's base earlier in the year.
"Terri had done a super job with her and she arrived in terrific condition," noted Somervell.
"She had her first two starts for me at Ellerslie and didn't really cope with going right handed for the first time. I think she will be okay going that way once she learns how to handle it but returning to her familiar left-handed way around was the key on Saturday.
"Her work during the week had been first class so I was confident she would run well although her price didn't indicate anyone else thought that way."
Punters certainly abandoned the mare on her disclosed North Island form with her $40 plus tote price making her the rank outsider of the ten horse field. That counted for little as rider Trudy Thornton bided her time in midfield before producing a powerful home straight burst to score by a head from race favourite Bonniegirl.
"It was a lovely ride by Trudy as she held her up before putting her in the race halfway down the straight where she was very strong to the line," said Somervell.
"We were pretty keen for her to perform well on Saturday as I have my eye on the Listed race at Rotorua over 1400 metres in a fortnight as her next challenge and I thought we'd need the form to make the field.
"That should be sorted out now and with Rotorua being left-handed I'm keen to get her there if she comes through this one well."
Somervell was pleased with the run of his other class mare, Celebrity Miss, who finished 6th in the Gr. 2 Travis Stakes behind impressive winner Rasa Lila.
"She just found it a little firm for her although she went a very pleasing race," he said.
"I had been hoping for some rain as I think she would have been right in it with a little moisture in the track. She pulled up well but I'm not sure what to do with her now as there's just nothing around for her."
Somervell also reported Addictive Habit was doing well as he recuperates from a tendon tear suffered during a build-up towards a start in the Gr. 1 Doncaster Handicap during the recent Sydney autumn carnival. – NZ Racing Desk
