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Fun with the fillies
29th January 2008
It has been a relatively quiet week in the yard as far as runners go. Cheonmado ran at Lingfield on Wednesday and on face value I was disappointed, although as the roughie of the field he wasn't expected to perform by most. 'Che' jumped from the stalls well and was asked to go forward, possibly proving his undoing as he then over-raced setting up a cracking pace which saw him drop out straightening for home. With some thought with regard to gear changes, I expect good improvement next time out.
It is always an exciting time when the 2yos enter work! The staff have decided on their favourites already although several are still due to arrive in the weeks to come. The development and change that can come over a young horse as they mature can be staggering. Most of them are actually yet to turn two so it isn't hard to understand the changes that can occur as they get their first pieces of work to deal with.
I have often likened a group of 2yos to a class of children in the way they develop their personalities. Young Matt Latus had a rather interesting lesson in this week. "Sutton Veny" (Acclimation ex Carabine) shows all the attributes I like in a filly. She is developing quickly with the work, eats well, has a good mental attitude and relaxed way of going. The only part I felt could be missing at this stage was that bit of 'spark'. All good fillies and mares seem to have it and certainly the good ones I have had in the past all had that "quirkiness" that seemed to set them apart from the other members of the fairer sex! Well my concerns were put well and truly to rest as she put on one of the best bucking exhibitions I've seen for some time last Thursday morning in the warm-up school. I have to say Matt did one hell of a job on her and managed a good lap or so entertaining the lads before managing to pull her up and re-adjust the saddle, which by now was nearly under her. Exactly what set her off was a mystery, though I had been just quietly upping her feed a touch. Don't tell that to the lads!
At the risk of boring you or being accused of living in the past, it made me think of a couple of the good fillies and mares I had in the last few years who all had the one common denominator. They were all a bit quirky! Reshuffles (pictured below) won a Group 3 race at her fourth start and is still racing now back in Aus. She spent 2 months at the vets after I bought her in Sydney for $10000. She fell off the horse box ramp leaving the sales (the vet bill ended up about the same as the purchase price). She could kick for England and has an absolute aversion to other horses. Tingirana was a multiple Stakes winner and got beaten a nose in the South Australian Oaks (Gr 1). She was a lovely natured mare but always took some convincing to get on the box every time she headed to the races. It sometimes took 20 mins of gentle persuasion. As soon as we went to the back of the box to get the tail rope she would walk straight on before we could even get it out. These two mares won as my last two runners in Australia, bless them.
Maybe Mclaren (pictured below) won 10 races and was a stakes winner, despite refusing to go in the stalls at ALL of her wins. You would wait to have your bet on how she went in. If she was good going in, she was NO GOOD coming out! Lady Llaroo won four straight and used to buck all the way to the start. My apprentice at the time was the only one who would ride her. Fly For Me won up to Group 2 and was placed at Group 1. She hated the whip and actually won a good race after trying to snatch the whip out of another jockeys hand as she went past it. The video is worth watching!
These fillies won a total of 37 between them and $1.1 million in prize money, not including sales bonuses for me during my last two seasons in Australia and they are a great example of why I love a good filly! I firmly believe they need that little bit of a quirk to set them apart and I for one am more than happy to see that in any filly or mare......and I sure as hell wouldn't try to change them either!
Jeremy Gask