Photo: Jane Davidson (Race Images Palmerston North)
Quality mare Hi Yo Sass Bomb (Spartacus) showed she is in for another plentiful spring campaign when she exploded over the final 150m to storm over the top of her female rivals and score a stunning victory in the feature race at Hawera on Saturday, the Gr.3 Grangewillim Stud Breeders Stakes (1400m).
Kim Reid’s now seven-year-old daughter of Complacent has fashioned a top-class record over the past two years including a runner-up finish behind Snazzytavi in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) alongside a win in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) and numerous honest efforts in elite company.
Reid gave her a lengthy summer break after finishing well back in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in early January and brought her back to the trials at Foxton in August where she ran third over 1000m before winning her second trial over the same distance a fortnight later.
Expected to perform creditably first-up over 1400m at Otaki last month, a seventh out of eight effort had Reid scratching her head somewhat before tackling Saturday’s Group Three feature as her second-up target.
The application of blinkers and a deteriorating Heavy10 surface that had copped plenty of rain during the week and again on raceday played into her hands as rider Chris Dell had her trucking along beautifully on the rails behind a slow pace set-up by race favourite Mary Shan ($2.90).
Dell angled Hi Yo Sass Bomb across heels at the 500m and followed eventual runner-up Rareza into the contest before burying her rivals with a powerful burst that carried her to a one and a half-length victory.
Reid, who co-owns the mare in conjunction with her parents Josephine and Graeme, cut an emotional figure after the race.
“I just love this horse, as I know she is a champ,” Reid said.
“Last start was really disappointing and I knew she was behind the eight ball.
“When she is on she is on and so deserves this, it really means a lot.
“She is sassy but classy and really gets her game face on. Today she was really cool and calm and that is what she gets like on raceday (at her best).
“I’ve been saying all week I was ninety percent happy with her and there was still ten percent to go, so we will see how she is over the next few days and decide where to go from there.”
Dell admitted it was a strangely run race due to the lack of a true pacemaker, although he didn’t want to be as handy as he was in the early running knowing she has a devastating sprint when saved for a last run from the back.
“She has been jumping and putting herself there at the trials and when she jumped and wanted to be there I was okay with it,” he said wryly.
“If you look at the way the races have been playing they have been flying down the outside. I wasn’t in the greatest spot and wanted to get off (the rail) as soon as I could and luckily got the drag into it behind Sam Collett (Rareza).
“She is a class horse who has been competitive at the top level and her class got her there today.
“When she has won she has won with authority and that has what she has done today.”
Bred by the Reids, Hi Yo Sass Bomb has now had six wins and four placings from her 25 starts, earning $392,770 for her connections.
