Dame La Jane lifts spirits
Stephen Washington, an Invercargill sickness beneficiary under treatment for depression, had his spirits lifted when he won his first race as an owner-trainer yesterday at Wingatui.
Dame La Jane, the first horse he has trained, led over 2200m and won easily. He races the 6-yearold mare with his mother, Christine, of Timaru. Dame La Jane was having her fourth start for Washington.
Stephen was given Dame La Jane by Invercargill breeder, Peter Smellie. Washington assists Smellie and Dame La Jane is among three horses they have in work.
“Peter gave her to me as she had been so naughty,” Washington said. “I had never ridden a horse before when I started riding her.”
He said he had gained the trust of Dame La Jane after she kicked through a corrugated fence in a paddock.
“I helped her when she was in trouble and she seemed to accept me after that,” he said.
Washington, 42, has experience over the last 10 years with the training of standardbreds, assisting Invercargill trainer Michael Cleaver.
Washington owner of the Destroy, who was a partpacer Seek And won a race at Ascot Park in 2010 when trained by Cleaver.
He decided to take out an owner-trainer licence for thoroughbreds six months ago to prepare Dame La Jane, who had been unplaced in four starts for Smellie last autumn.
Dame La Jane (by Danzighill) is the first foal to race out of Hey Good Lookin, a Festal mare who won a 1000m race at Tauherenikau. She failed to conceive to her first two matings.
Ruby Red, a comfortable all-the-way winner of a 1200m maiden for fillies and mares yesterday, will return to Wingatui on Tuesday.
“There is a race for 2 and 3-yearolds next Tuesday which is ideal for her,” trainer Michael Pitmansaid.
He prepares the 3-year-old daughter of Dehere for Bruce and Karen Tapper, of Otautau.
The 3-year-old filly Heart Of Hearts came from last at the 500m in a 10-horse field to win over 1400m yesterday.
She was having her second start for Tapanui trainers Barrie and Nikki Blatch after joining the stable three months ago from the North Island.
She was leased by the Blatchs, and David and Eileen McKenzie, of Mataura Island.
36-year-old Riverton apprentice Rebecca Black had her best riding day yesterday, with three wins including the Southern Champion Hack Handicap on Saragarhi.
She also won on Dame La Jane and Heart Of Hearts.
Black resumed riding
as
an apprentice in August after an eight year absence. She had a year as an amateur before she resumed.
Her comeback easy.
“I am still struggling with my weight and I haven’t eaten properly since last Wednesday,” she said.
Her absence from race riding followed a severe concussion.
She began her apprenticeship at Invercargill with the late Cecil Beckett. She has two-and-a-halfyears to complete her time with partner Kelvin Tyler, the trainer of Saragarhi.
It was the third win for the Spartacus gelding since he was leased from the North Island by Tyler stable clients including his son, Michael this season.
Saragarhi chased the pacemaker, Our Mona Lisa, before challenging near the 400m and stayed well to win by a length.
Black won the cup for most successful apprentice over the two day Riverton Easter meeting with four wins.
Tommy White, the president said it was the first time in its 137 year history the Riverton club had held its Easter meeting at other than its home track and the first time a day had been postponed.
The meeting scheduled for Riverton on Monday was abandoned due to a slippery track.
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