Racing: Bev gets it right with Xanadu

Xanadu was able to show her turn of foot and she swept to an impressive win. Photo / Duncan Brown

Matamata horseman Ken Kelso was indebted to the powers of persuasion of his wife and training partner Bev after a bold gear addition for their quality mare Xanadu was repaid at Hastings with another group one title.

The blinkers went on the daughter of Elusive City for the Windsor Park Plate and the five-year-old ran out a convincing winner to set up a trip to the Melbourne spring carnival.

"I'd like to thank Bev for talking me into putting the hood on," Kelso said. "I was against it, but she asked 'do you want to run second again?' She had only worked in them twice and it obviously made the difference - it's a huge result."

Runner-up last year to Ocean Park, Xanadu had opened her current preparation with a runner-up finish behind Postmans Daughter in the group three Foxbridge Plate, but was then all at sea in the heavy going for the group one Makfi Challenge Stakes.

"I walked the track before the race and couldn't believe how bad it was, it was a bottomless pit," Kelso said.

On a better surface yesterday, Xanadu was able to show her turn of foot and she swept to an impressive win and her second at the highest level after she had opened her account in the group one New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes in the autumn.

"She travelled up nicely with the blinkers on and turning for home I just needed the split and I knew a long way out we would pick up Mufhasa," rider Michael Coleman said.

The nine-year-old Mufhasa lost nothing in defeat in his first run since a disastrous trip to Hong Kong in May while Nashville ran home well along the fence for third ahead of Final Touch, who rallied bravely after she was under pressure on the turn.

Kelso confirmed that Xanadu would now head to Melbourne where the group one Myer Classic at Flemington on November 2 was their focus.

Her Hastings win completed an outstanding day for the stable that also won the group three Gold Trail Stakes with Bounding and the Rating 74 staying event with Traveller.

Bounding is likely to be most potent up to a metric mile and with future targets in mind, the pre-race plan of co-trainer Ken Kelso and rider Mark Du Plessis was able to be perfectly executed at Hastings.

"I had a talk with Mark and she needs to run 1400 metres in the Sarten next time and then the mile so we didn't want to get into a speed duel and he agreed," Kelso said.

Bounding was taken on for the early lead before Du Plessis eased to trail and angled off the rail into the straight. The filly sprinted to the front 200 metres from home and was too good for Costa Viva and Fascination Street.

"She's a very good filly and I could afford to make them work from the one draw," Du Plessis said. "She won well and there's improvement to come."

- NZ Racing Desk