Yearning for elusive stakes win
Group Two performer Yearn will kickoff her 6-year-old season in the Roger Gill Agriculture 1200 at Pukekohe today, beginning her mission to try to add an all-important stakes victory to her resume.
The daughter of Savabeel has won six of her 31 starts and has been placed on three occasions at stakes level, including second in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) and third in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) and Gr.2 Easter Handicap (1600m).
The Karen Fursdon-trained mare began her preparation on the best possible note, winning her 880m trial at Te Rapa last month, and that has her connections excited ahead of today.
“She is really well, she had a trial on the 15th at Te Rapa and she performed extremely well and has come through it great,” Fursdon said.
“She seems to be so much stronger and she just looks terrific.”
TAB bookmakers have installed Yearn as a $6.50 equal third-favourite with Le Castille, behind the Peter and Dawn Williams-trained Marzemino ($3.40) and Midnight Runner ($4).
● Injured jockey Donavan Mansour is in good spirits after a successful operation on his broken pelvis at Waikato Hospital on Thursday.
The popular hoop sustained the injury after his mount reared up and fell backwards on to him at Te Aroha on Wednesday.
“The results were fantastic, the surgery went really well,” Mansour’s riding agent Tony Raklander said. “He looks a different person, he has all the colour back in his face.
“The surgeon was really happy with the results.
“He said everything went to plan, so they don’t see any issues going forward.”