Ken and Bev Kelso are not demonstrative, so when they say Cote D'Or could be the best mare they've trained it pays to listen.
"Potentially, that is," says Ken Kelso by way of clarification after Cote D'Or scored an against-the-odds victory in Saturday's $50,000 Team Wealleans Matamata Cup.
The winwas against the odds because few horses could make significant ground from the back of the field on the day, particularly if they got out to the centre of the track -- usually a good place to be at Matamata in wet conditions but not on Saturday.
Cote D'Or did both, but still looked almost an impossible chance of running top three at the 250m. The mare's finishing burst was exceptional and suggested a big win is somewhere in the future. "It was a very good run because she wobbled around the corner, which she can often do," said Kelso. Cote D'or is far from big, but she is strong for her size, the body nearly fully developed. The brain has been slower to maturity. The Kelsos and rider Danielle Johnson believe the mare still has a fair bit to learn.
The immediate path forward for the Sir Peter Vela-owned mare is undecided. "We've achieved our first goal," says Kelso. "When we turned her out after winning at Te Aroha we and Sir Peter's racing manager Garry Cossey set our eyes on winning this race and getting in at the right weight. The minimum 53kg was perfect.
"I wouldn't be keen to go to weight-for-age with her yet, it's better to stay to handicaps. She doesn't need to be doing anything too quickly because that was a pretty tough run for her second up."
TAB bookmakers didn't miss the significance of the victory by Te Akau Shark in the 3-year-old Fairview Motors Matamata early on the card. The handsome chestnut not only achieved what is difficult, going up two grades straight off the back of a debut maiden win, he did it with ridiculous ease.
He is now favourite for the Al Basti Equiworld 2000 Guineas at Riccarton next month at $6, replacing stablemate Embellish. As he did in his Te Rapa debut, Te Akau Shark got back, sat wide, looped the field and ran away untested. "He's made them look ordinary both times," says co-trainer Stephen Autridge.
Stable rider Opie Bosson was another to be impresssed. "It wasn't a pretty ride and I was lucky I had such a good horse under me. He's got a lot of ability and he's still learning, the best is yet to come from him."
Stablemate Gingernuts is on track for the re-directed Livamol at Hastings judging on his fine piece of work between races at Matamata. He galloped with Chance To Dance, who will be a Livamol rival and finished a couple of lengths ahead of his partner, usually a lazy trackworker.
"He's flying, I gave him a kick and he flew," said rider Opie Bosson. The A$1.5m Emirates Stakes is the target for Gingernuts after Hastings.
