Bel Sorriso
Race Images Palmerston North
A dominant display on a testing heavy surface by progressive staying mare Bel Sorriso proved the major highlight at Trentham on the weekend.
The Grant Searle trained four-year-old showed just how lethal she is when the tracks are at their deepest with an effortless performance that saw her dash away from her open handicap rivals over the closing stages of the Magness Benrow sponsored Trentham Gold Cup (2100m).
It was the mare's fifth win from 7 starts on a heavy track and the sixth of her 19 start career to date. Placed at Group Two level at Trentham back in January it is the pursuit of a valuable black-type victory that will dictate the mare's programme over the coming months.
"She really is something special when she gets on those rain affected tracks as she seems to just skip over the ground," explained Searle.
"I was watching on Saturday and at the half mile she just seemed to be cruising along when the rest of them were making pretty heavy weather of it.
"Once she opened up in the straight it was over quite quickly and Johnathan (Parkes) let her coast to the line with her ears pricked."
Searle will now sit down and plot a course for the mare over the winter months with the aim of picking up a stakes victory.
"She has a little bit of black-type behind her but it would be nice to pick up a win or two at that level," he said.
"I haven't looked around at what there is for her but I will do that sometime over the next few days. One option for her could be the Taumarunui Cup later in the winter but until then we will just pick and choose where she goes."
Despite the mare's penchant for winter tracks, Searle is still confident she can perform on a better surface.
"She is a dead set stayer so I think she could handle a better track provided it was over ground. She ran sixth in the Oaks as a three-year-old on a dead track so now she is stronger there could be a good handicap race for her in the spring if we look after her now." – NZ Racing Desk
The Grant Searle trained four-year-old showed just how lethal she is when the tracks are at their deepest with an effortless performance that saw her dash away from her open handicap rivals over the closing stages of the Magness Benrow sponsored Trentham Gold Cup (2100m).
It was the mare's fifth win from 7 starts on a heavy track and the sixth of her 19 start career to date. Placed at Group Two level at Trentham back in January it is the pursuit of a valuable black-type victory that will dictate the mare's programme over the coming months.
"She really is something special when she gets on those rain affected tracks as she seems to just skip over the ground," explained Searle.
"I was watching on Saturday and at the half mile she just seemed to be cruising along when the rest of them were making pretty heavy weather of it.
"Once she opened up in the straight it was over quite quickly and Johnathan (Parkes) let her coast to the line with her ears pricked."
Searle will now sit down and plot a course for the mare over the winter months with the aim of picking up a stakes victory.
"She has a little bit of black-type behind her but it would be nice to pick up a win or two at that level," he said.
"I haven't looked around at what there is for her but I will do that sometime over the next few days. One option for her could be the Taumarunui Cup later in the winter but until then we will just pick and choose where she goes."
Despite the mare's penchant for winter tracks, Searle is still confident she can perform on a better surface.
"She is a dead set stayer so I think she could handle a better track provided it was over ground. She ran sixth in the Oaks as a three-year-old on a dead track so now she is stronger there could be a good handicap race for her in the spring if we look after her now." – NZ Racing Desk