Win augurs well for The Precious One
WINGATUI mare The Precious One showed she could be in for a massive spring with an emphatic win at Riccarton on Tuesday.
The Claire Anderton trained 4yrold was keen to run and gave rider Lisa Allpress plenty to think about when she sprang out of the starting stalls at the 1200m.
Her antics were not enough to dim her at the finish as she jogged effortlessly to the line after hitting the lead early in the home straight.
She left some handy and fitter types in her wake
The performance signalled The Precious One has come back in brilliant order this season.
It also has Anderton eyeing the group 3 Canterbury Breeders Stakes’ during the New Zealand Cup carnival for her mare.
Wet tracks have played havoc with The Precious One’s buildup.
‘‘She did that [Riccarton race] without having a jumpout or a trial,’’ Anderton said.
‘‘We had her in at the jumpouts and had to pull her out because it was too wet. There is certainly a lot of improvement in her.’’
The Precious One’s return was delayed even further with the rescheduling of her race from Saturday to Tuesday.
Her victory comes during a season of change for her owners, the Dennis Brothers, of Woodlands.
The four brothers — Joe, Martin, Ray and Tony — have recently retired from training. They had been in a fiveman partnership with Tony’s son, Robert, until the end of last season.
Robert has taken over the training duties in his own right for their Ravelston Stud.