Class prevailed, as it seems to do when Gai Waterhouse is the trainer, as quality mare More Strawberries won the $150,000 Listed The 2012 Darley Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
More Strawberries is a multiples group 1 placegetter and group 2 winner but when she returned to racing last start she was a well beaten seven lengths seventh placing, but luckily for backers on Saturday, Waterhouse has the golden touch at the moment and the mare bounced back big time.
The win was Waterhouse's third on the card and was her sixth straight weekend where she has notched a treble or better.
“The intention is winning, the intention isn't to get a treble, but it is certainly very nice,” Waterhouse said.
On the track More Strawberries got further back than expected, settling toward the rear of the field but Nash Rawiller had her travelling comfortably, eight lengths off the leader Dystopia (N Berry).
Favoured runner Ladys Angel (Ford) sat right in front of More Strawberries and gave the mare a lovely trail into the race and as the field rounded the turn More Strawberries was four off the leader and finishing strongly.
Ladys Angel hit the lead 200m from home but More Strawberries was back to her best and finished strongly over the top of her rivals to score a nice win.
At the line the margins were a half-length to Ladys Angel with Potions (Bowman) a long head away in third place. The overall time was 1.16.36 and the final 600m was run in 35.60
“When she got so far back I thought 'oh heavens', she got so far back and didn't seem to be doing anything early in the piece,” Waterhouse said.
“I just said to the boys before, maybe keeping her on the fresh side is the way to train her because that's how I have for this race.
“I was very disappointed (in her last run), he work had been outstanding and when she ran the other day she ran so sub-standardly that I rang Singo and said I can't work it out at all.
“I just thought I would shoot the breeze, keep her really fresh and voila.”
“I was happy, I said on radio this morning that I don't mind where we end up as long as she is comfortable in herself,” Rawiller said.
“She really enjoyed the cart into the race and although we were a little out of our ground I wasn't concerned because she was right in her comfort zone and finished off accordingly; she hit the line well.”
More Strawberries is by More Than Ready (USA) out of Milva (USA) and is owned by John Singleton's Strawberry Hill Stud Syndicate.
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