Photo: Race Images South
Byerley Park conditioner Barbara Kennedy made her first foray to the South Island on Saturday a successful one as her handy mare Pour The Wine (Telperion) dominated her rivals in the closing stages of the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton.
The Daniel Nakhle-bred and part-owned daughter of Telperion had been struggling to recapture her form of old that had seen her finish in the top three in 13 of her 31 starts, and it had been nearly two years since she had featured in the winners’ enclosure.
A last start seventh at Ellerslie, less than three lengths behind Sweynesday, hinted at better things and she stripped a fit horse for Kennedy and rider Kendra Bakker, although punters remained unconvinced as they let her start at odds of $24.80 on the tote.
Bakker allowed her to find her feet early in the contest as she sat back near last on the inner before saving many lengths on her rivals by pushing up inside of runners rounding the home bend.
Pour The Wine let down with a terrific sprint at the 300m and quickly burst to the front and went clear before easing down to beat the late closing Betty Spaghetti and Tomasina who filled the minor placings.
Kennedy, who flew down from Auckland for the race, was overjoyed with her first stakes victory and also that she could provide apprentice Bakker with the same result.
“That is my first stakes win and the same for Kendra so it is such a great feeling,” Kennedy said.
“I had expected her to go well but when she got caught down on the inside I didn’t think she would finish off like that, but she handled the track really well.
“She normally has quite a short sprint and then sort of peaks, but Kendra produced a pearler of a ride and she was just so strong at the end.”
Kennedy had felt the mare could return to her best despite not having won for such a long period of time.
“She has had some really hard luck stories and is always just in behind them,” she said.
“This is going to be her last season before she goes to stud, so we thought she might get her best chance of a black-type win down here and I’m thrilled for Daniel and her other owners we could achieve that.
“She is likely to stay down here for another couple of months as we have some more stakes races planned for her.
“I do have to thank Lance Robinson, who has been looking after her for me since we sent her down last week, as he has done a great job keeping her ticking along in preparation for today.”
Out of Nakhle’s O’Reilly mare Needlly, who won six races and was placed at stakes level, Pour The Wine is closely related to stakes winners Tomorrowland, Sahrhys and former top Hong Kong-based performer Flame Hero.
She has now won five of her 32 starts and over $250,000 in prizemoney.
