Passito, Morris prove lethal combination

WINGATUI mare Passito continued her brilliant association with jockey Jillian Morris by winning at Ascot Park on Saturday.

The Steven Princetrained mare produced a tough performance to lead all the way in the open sprint at the popular Christmas At The Races meeting in Invercargill.

Morris was having only her third sit on the mare and took her record to two wins and a second placing.

The pair could combine again at Wingatui on Boxing Day in the Otago Racing Club’s $50,000 listed level 1200m feature, Prince said.

‘‘I will have a look at that race. She has got to go up to that next level, but it is 50 grand on our back door.

‘‘She has pulled up pretty well so I will see what rating points she gets and make a decision.

‘‘I thought she was pretty good on Saturday. I thought she was headed by Coulee, who put a neck on her, but she toughed it out.’’

Passito could be an even more competitive horse in the Wingatui feature if she could find a horse to trail.

The horse was niggled at before the turn by Morris, not because she was under pressure, but because she was gawking around, Prince said.

‘‘Jillian said at the 600m she hought she [Passito] was getting under pressure but she actually wasn’t — she was looking at marks on the track.’’

‘‘That is what she is like even in track work. You have got to work in behind something — she never goes

Prince said.

Passito had a shot a bigger target when racing in the group 3 Stewards Handicap during New Zealand Cup week at Riccarton. While her last placing behind Carnival suggests she did not measure up to that class, she received a substantial check at the 500m from which she did not recover.

On Saturday Come Fly With Me also led all the way to win race 7, the open handicap over 2100m.

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BlairEdie trained 7yrold did not put her backers through quite the same suspense Passito did in winning, however. Rider Lee Callaway worked the mare to her favoured frontrunning role early before setting a pace that never gave her rivals a lookin.

Gallant Boy tried hard in running second but could only get as close as five lengths from the winner. He had given away a 5kg weight advantage to her.

Local filly Courte Zarindi reaffirmed she was a serious contender for the South’s coming guineas races with her win in race 8 over 1600m.

The Sally McKaytrained 3yrold launched a big late finish wide on the track under rider Terry Moseley to triumph for a second time in her last three starts.

After winning at Gore last month, Courte Zarindi ran third to leading South Island filly Savvy Coup in premier company during New Zealand Cup week.

Moseley scored a racetorace double after riding the Peter Rudkintrained Spider to win race 9.

McKay, too, scored a winning double on the Ascot Park card as she also produced El Famoso to break maiden ranks in race 3 (1400m). The 6yrold Fast ’N’ Famous mare was ridden by Corey Campbell.

Waiuku trainer Sean Cameron make an earlier than usual start to his annual quest to win races in the South.

Cameron is a regular campaigner of horses in the South Island and produced Can You Hear Me to win race 10, a rating 65 1600m. It gave jockey Callaway a winning double.