Parkes’ pre-race plan works a treat

A ground-saving ride by Johnathon Parkes gave the Group performer Gwynethanne the winning edge in the main event at New Plymouth.

Parkes took the short cuts that allowed the mare to scrape home under her topweight of 59kg in the Energy City Ford Open.

“Johnathon said he was going to cut the corner and that there was nothing wrong with the rail,” trainer Karen Zimmerman said.

Gwynethanne stuck to her task strongly along the fence in the run home to down Madonna Mia, who was out wide, by a long neck and Nothing Trivial was a distance back in third.

The Handsome Ransom six-year-old, who was runner-up in last year’s Gr.2 Travis Stakes, had run sixth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes three runs back before Zimmerman had to ease up on the mare.

“She got a bit of a cold after the fillies and mares’ race at Awapuni and we had to miss the Travis,” she said.

Gwynethanne showed she was back on track with a solid run for second at Otaki over a mile at the beginning of the month and she will step back up to her favoured middle distance at her next appearance.

“She’ll have one more run in the Foxton Cup at Wanganui,” Zimmerman said, “The distance will suit her and hopefully the ground will be a bit better and then she’ll go out.”

Earlier in the programme, the gifted local Choice was a dominant winner of the Taranaki District Turf Club 3YO.

She is a talented performer on rain-affected tracks, highlighted by her Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes success before Christmas, and she was too good for Martiniz Special.