Classy Princess takes Breeders
MARTON mare Sensible Princess travelled north to Pukekohe on Saturday and justified the confidence of her connections.
She came north with an impressive record of five wins from nine starts but all had been on heavy tracks raising queries around her ability on good footing.
Ridden by southern jockey Chris Johnson, the daughter os Street Sense left no doubt about her transition to faster ground as she finished resolutely to overpower the race favourite Francaletta late in the race.
So close was the finish Johnson was unsure if he had made it in time.
‘‘She travelled nice in the run but I didn’t know if she had quite got up,’’ he said. ‘‘I wasn’t sure on the line.’’
When the Fraser Auret-trained mare made her bid for Group II honours in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1400m), Johnson thought the win was in the bag.
‘‘But the second horse kicked back strongly,’’ he said.
Like Sensible Princess, Francaletta brought an impressive record into the race as the winner of six races from nine starts and when her rider Michael Coleman confidently went to the front a long way from home it appeared she was going to add another.
It wasn’t to be but she held second from her Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained stablemate Coldplay who fought bravely off a wide run.
Auret was hopeful of a good performance and didn’t share doubts about his mare’s capabilities on good tracks.
‘‘She had been working well and I sort of felt she had got a bit keen and sat quite handy,’’ he said. ‘‘She is better ridden back off the pace.
‘‘And I always thought she would go on better tracks. I don’t know she would want to start too often on them but I’ve always thought she had the class.’’
She will be tested in Group I company next time out.
‘‘There’s a nice mile race at Trentham in a couple of weeks that the stable has managed to win the last two years so let’s hope she pulls up alright.’’
Auret conquered the Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham with Aide Memoire last summer and Julinsky Prince the year prior.
Earlier on the programme, The Kipling Girl overcame a slow start to win the open 1600 at generous odds.
Trained at Te Aroha by Scott TRISH DUNELL
‘ She travelled nice in the run but I didn't know if she had quite got up. I wasn't sure on the line.’ JOCKEY:CHRIS JOHNSON
Wenn, the daughter of High Chaparral got over the top of Skyweka and Snapshot to win her third race from 19 starts for her syndicate of owners.
Jockey Samantha Collett planned to jump and be somewhere near the speed in the race but had to quickly revert to Plan B after a slow getaway.
Collett improved her position a fair way from home but the mare was strong to the line and underlined the confidence with which the jockey is riding this season as she extended her lead in the jockeys’ premiership.
‘‘She was so unlucky last start,’’ Collett said. ‘‘And I didn’t want to be unlucky today.’’
Wenn will keep an eye on the weather before deciding the promising galloper’s future.
‘‘She likes the sting out of the ground,’’ he said. ‘‘She won’t go on rock hard tracks but we’ll keep her going in case there’s a bit of rain about.’’
Sensible Princess was bred and is owned by John Bromley’s Bromley Bloodstock.