A black type credit at Hastings this weekend will cap a rewarding campaign for the progressive staying mare Pure Lorde.
Lightly tried with three victories from her 12 starts, she is primed for another bold showing in Saturday's listed Winning Edge Presentations Hawke's Bay Gold Cup.
"She's still got a bit of maturing to do mentally, but it's worth a crack before the tracks really pack up and she goes out," co-trainer Graham Richardson said. "Lisa Allpress will ride her."
Richardson has recently been joined in partnership by Gavin Parker, and Pure Lorde presented them with their first win together when she scored at the premier meeting at Awapuni at the beginning of the month.
"I would have forgiven her if she had got beaten - she did a bit wrong and went up in the gates, which isn't like her. She's usually pretty quiet," Richardson said. "She didn't like the ground either. She was dipping and diving and still won."