Miss E’s maiden win hard to beat

WHEN lightly raced mare Miss Eleanor powered home to break her maiden status in Hobart last Sunday, at least two of her connections were punching the air with delight.

Part-owner Chris Carpenter, a former star footballer with Glenorchy, and strapper Imogen Townsend bounced into the unsaddling enclosure as if they had just won a Hobart Cup.

Townsend has been working for trainers Chris Crook and Imogen Miller since August last year and Miss Eleanor is her first winner as a strapper.

For Carpenter is was his first winner as an owner and he has had shares in several horses over the years.

“I’m just glad I now know what it’s like to have a winner and I can see what all the fuss was about,” Carpenter said.

Townsend does a fair bit of work with Miss Eleanor so sharing in the mare’s first win was special.

Co-trainer Miller said Miss Eleanor has been a work in progress.

“This mare showed us a bit early on and being a full sister to the really good three-yearold Gee Gee Lanett we expected her to show something, but this is the first time she has put it all together in a race,” Miller said.

“She has a lot of quirks and she has been frustrating to train because when you know they have ability but they don’t always produce what they are capable of they can wear you out mentally.

“And this mare falls into that category.”