Electric win just the tonic for Shirley, 87
SHIRLEY Batten’s win with Electric Ellyse was a long time coming for both horse and trainer.
In what was the five-yearold mare’s first win, Electric Ellyse ($11) beat Influencer and Collingwood to the line in the 1800m Maiden Plate on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
It was the first win in four seasons for Batten, 87, who is still recovering from a fall on January 13.
Batten broke her left elbow in the fall that happened while she was feeding her horses and is only just starting to get feeling back in her hands.
“The win meant a lot because we have had her for quite some time and there has been a lot of things go wrong,” Batten said.
“She was so immature, then she had a knee operation and had to go out for six months.
“Then she had a couple (of runs) where she was out the back and not competing so it was a big thing.”
Batten, who has been training for 60 years, said the decision to put blinkers on Electric Ellyse paved the way for the breakthrough win.
“She is not a hard horse to ride but everyone lets her relax and she is quite happy to relax and not do anything,” Batten said. “If she is working with another horse she just goes along with them and never pulls.
“A rider said during the week that she was a different horse with the blinkers on and that she wants to compete with it. We thought perhaps in a small field she might have a chance with them on.”
Electric Ellyse, the only horse Batten has in work, is likely to return to the track in the coming weeks to contest a 1800m race.
It was a day out for Gold Coast’s most seasoned trainers with Harold Norman, 82, winning the Fillies and Mares Class 1 Handicap (1400m) with Zigallene.
It was the second win of the filly’s 10-start career. The first was over 1200m in August.