“Every day is hard, but it is what it is.”
In her second day back at the races, Leitrim Lad was Farr’s sole ride and he closed a $3.60 favourite, despite mixing his jumping and retiring from the race in last Saturday’s Waikato Steeplechase (3900m).
With his ears pricked, Leitrim Lad went straight to the lead in the early stages and shared that role with Jakama Krystal, before she took over heading into the second lap. Farr was wary of letting the leader get away, and the pair broke away from the remainder on the field along the back stretch.
The pack started to catch up and the race was on in the home straight, but as an 11-race winner and stakes performer on the flat, Leitrim Lad was always going to be hard to catch. Once he negotiated the final fence safely, he proved too strong, holding off Zac Flash to score by three-quarters of a length.
“He’s got an amazing, high cruising speed that he’s shown in all of his flat races, and the tempo of a race is very important with him,” Farr said. “He needs to get out and rolling and enjoying himself, because he is a bit of an old man.
“I didn’t want to let Krystal get too far in front because I know her pretty well too, and she’s good mare. I knew with his pace on the flat, he would be there and he jumped so well. He’s learned a lot since I last rode him and I’m glad he stuck on as well as he did.”
The son of Tavistock has earned just shy of $310,000 for breeder-owner Eamonn Green, who trains him out of Pukekohe Park.
“I’ve been fortunate to have three wins on him, I won a highweight on him in his early days, then his first steeplechase, and now I’ve won on him again today,” Farr said. “I can’t thank Eamonn and Kenny Rae enough for putting me back on, especially after having such a long time away.
“He’s a really cool dude.”
The result was welcomed after a disappointing outcome at Te Rapa last Saturday, where she was dislodged early in the race from Zeefa Zed in a drama-filled maiden steeplechase.
“Zeefa Zed has always been one of my favourite horses, so for him to make a little mistake and cause carnage later on was not the comeback I was hoping for,” she said. “But, these things happen and I know John Wheeler (trainer) will have him back and stronger for Wellington.
“It happened, you get over it and you build from it. Having the opportunity to ride Leitrim Lad today gave me a lot of confidence, and showed me that I really still want to do this and achieve my 100 winners.
“I’m now on 97 so we’re almost there, it’s something I’d like to achieve because I promised my father that I’d get there before I retire.
“I’d love to get there this season.”
One horse she hopes can get her closer to that goal is Diamond Jak, a four-time winner on the flat that will soon step out over the fences.
“I’m so excited to let this horse rip, I rode him at the trials the other day and he’d never jumped in company before, and he was amazing,” she said.
“I’m very lucky to have Mark (Brosnan, trainer) and his wife supporting me, they were some of the first people I visited when I got back. I’m so excited to ride this horse, he’s an out and out stayer and a lovely jumper.
Whilst she still enjoys riding competitively, Farr hopes to build a career for herself outside of her raceday assignments, having become a resident in her adopted country.
“I’m a New Zealand resident now, and I’d like to eventually pre-train and train now that I’ve settled here,” she said. “I’ve made New Zealand home, I love the country and I love the people here.
“I’m hoping that my mum will come over for six months of the year, once we’ve got things sorted out with the farm and things in Wales.”
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
