First Taranaki Challenge won in style
WELLINGTON: Te Aroha visitor Back In A Flash carved her name into the history books as the inaugural winner of the Taranaki Challenge (1400m) on Saturday.
Run under sweepstaketype conditions, similar to Australia’s The Everest but for horses who were still in maiden grade at the beginning of June, the $101,000 prize pool attracted a field chockfull of upandcoming local talent.
An exciting race was predicted and the event lived up to that billing, the majority of the field well in contention as heads turned for the run home.
A true pace in the early stages suited Back In A Flash, who had settled well back from an outside barrier. Rider Andrew Calder began a sweeping run on the mare at the 600m mark and the Ekraar 4yrold loomed into the reckoning at the top of the home straight.
Asked for her full effort, she streaked clear in the final stages to hand her rivals a nearon threelength beating as the well favoured English Gambler closed hard to snatch second from outsider Play The Field.
Cotrainer Gavin Opie, who prepares the mare with his father, Keith, acknowledged the race had been the mare’s major target after she broke through on debut over 1200m back in June.
‘‘We have had this on the radar since she had her first win at Te Teko,’’ he said.
‘‘We didn’t want to announce our plans too early, but we thought she was pretty good.’’
Opie admitted he had been confident of success once he saw his charge start to make her run.
‘‘She was going backwards at the 600m but when Andrew gave her a little niggle she picked up the bridle,’’ he said.
‘‘When he got to the outside I thought we were in for a big shot.
‘‘She delivered down the outside, so it was a good effort.
‘‘This time next year she should be a really nice mare. It’s great for her owner, who breeds just one horse a year, so he is tickled pink.’’ — NZ Racing Desk