Emotions run high as Plate goes to script for Lisa
RACING DOESN’T always pay heed to sentiment, but at Te Rapa yesterday a perfect ending to the Group III Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate script was closed out by I Do in the colours of Waikato Stud.
The high-class grey gave a performance in keeping with the occasion when she raced to an emotionally- charged victory for her co-owner and farm principal Mark Chittick, whose wife Lisa lost her battle with leukaemia earlier this year.
‘‘It’s pretty special and we might have had some help from above,’’ said trainer Allan Sharrock, who shares in the ownership of I Do. ‘‘Lisa was a lovely lady.’’
Emotions ran high as I Do returned to scale with members of the Chittick and O’Sullivan family filling the winner’s enclosure.
Lisa’s parents, Dave and Marie O’Sullivan, were visibly moved by the occasion, as was her sister Debbie and Mark’s father Garry, there with two of Lisa’s three children, George and Harry.
Instrumental in the special win was jockey Opie Bosson, who pointed to the heavens on crossing the winning post.
Due to be served in the spring by Savabeel, I Do was also bred by Mark Chittick and Sharrock and she is now likely to be given the opportunity to add a Group I credit to her resume at Hastings in a fortnight.
‘‘Mark’s keen on the Makfi and as long as we get conditions to suit we’ll be heading there,’’ Sharrock said.
The daughter of No Excuse Needed is now the $6 pre- post favourite for the opening leg of the Triple Crown with Recite and Scapolo sharing the second line at $8.
I Do settled a little further back in the running yesterday than anticipated, but when rider Opie Bosson let her loose in the straight she quickly had the race in safe keeping.
‘‘Her work suggested she would win, but you can never be comfortable when there are Group One winners in the field,’’ Sharrock said.
I Do powered clear to win by two and a- half lengths from Pussy O’Reilly and The Filly with the pacemaker Brave Centaur a fine fourth.
Whosyourmaster and Soriano made ground from the back to be the next duo home.
‘‘She missed the kick a fraction and we were two or three lengths off where I wanted to be,’’ Bosson said. ‘‘She tracked into the race and really let down. She loves racing and knows how to attack the line.’’
While I Do was a commanding winner, there were a number of encouraging efforts behind the seven-year-old.
Noel Harris was thrilled with the performance of the Waikato Stud bred runner-up Pussy O’Reilly and he had visions of victory before I Do emerged.
‘‘I was stoked, really rapt with her,’’ Harris said.
‘‘ She’s strengthened up a lot from her last preparation.’’
Third placegetter The Filly was partnered by Mark Hills, who said the Ishiguru mare flew the gates to sit outside the leader but found
It’s pretty special and we might have had some help from above
Trainer Allan Sharrock
two others too strong in the run home.
Kelly Myers rode Brave Centaur and the O’Reilly gelding battled on well for fourth.
‘‘It was a super fresh-up run and he had to do a bit of work to get to the front,’’ she said.
Apprentice Rory Hutchings was another to be impressed by his mount Soriano, who made ground strongly for sixth.
‘‘It was huge effort and she was the only one making ground at the line,’’ he said.
Xanadu’s rider Michael Coleman and Craig Grylls, who partnered Viadana, gave their mounts pass marks after their runs for eighth and 11th and Rogan Norvall said Veyron ( 12th) would improve sharply with the outing.
Veyron had some excuse as he jumped awkwardly from the gates then had to be steadied near the 1100 metres to avoid the heels of Brave Centaur.
Matthew Cameron was aboard the favourite Spellbinder, who finished seventh.
‘‘It was an okay run and she’s a year older and not as fast as she used to be,’’ he said.
Spin Doctor was eased down over the final stages and ran last.
A vet examination found the gelding to have suffered from cardiac arrhythmia and trainer Steve McKee was advised the gelding would be required to trial satisfactorily and gain a veterinary clearance before racing again.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne spring carnival contender Bounding gave an exhibition gallop and looked good in the closing 600 metres of her work.
‘‘She’s coming up well and it was a nice day out for her,’’ co-trainer Ken Kelso said.
New Zealand’s champion sprinter of 2013- 14 is due to resume on the second day of the Hawke’s Bay meeting on September 20 before heading to Australia.