Honor Babe showed her class when she stormed through the pack after being last with 600m to run in the Marton Cup.
The four-year-old scored her fourth win on end and fifth overall in Saturday's $50,000 event. Because it was her first start in open class she was handicapped half
a kilogram above the minimum, a weight which made regular rider Michael Coleman go to the sweat box more times than he has been used to.
Coleman's assessment of the mare's chances were that she was too good a ride to give up, so his dedication to make her weight proved worth the effort.
Honor Babe was bought out of a paddock as a weanling by Amy Ingram of Dannevirke to prepare her for sale.
After having failed to meet the reserve price at sale, Ingram decided the only other option was to get a group together to share in the ownership.
Her partners include Geoff Rothwell and friends Wyn Edwards of Whangaparaoa, north of Auckland, and Peter Smith of Tauranga.
Her choice of trainer was Katrina Alexander, a former neighbour, who had shifted to begin a trainer's career in Matamata.
Alexander had a wealth of experience in the equestrian field and also with former Woodville trainer Murray Baker, now based in Cambridge.
She has regularly had a good horse about her, including Mi Babe who set Alexander on the road to success. Another good performer for Alexander was Nikisha who won the Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Ellerslie before running second in the Auckland Cup, and more recently Man In Black.
Honor Babe's victory has sent her towards the top of Wellington Cup calculations.
The TAB yesterday listed her as third favourite for the January 25 event at a dividend of $8. The favourite was Auckland Cup runner-up Oarsman at $5.50 with Auckland Cup winner Bodie at $7.50.
Second in the Marton Cup (2200m) was Supa Belt, who is becoming something of a perennial bridesmaid, having been second in the Wanganui and Manawatu Cups.
Manawatu Cup winner Small Town Boy spreadeagled his rivals in the middle stages of Saturday's race and looked hard to catch at the home turn.
But he failed to sustain the run, in a time which was close to a track record, and succumbed only in the last 50m to finish third. On pulling up, Small Town Boy was found to have lost a shoe.
- NZPA
Honor Babe showed her class when she stormed through the pack after being last with 600m to run in the Marton Cup.
The four-year-old scored her fourth win on end and fifth overall in Saturday's $50,000 event. Because it was her first start in open class she was handicapped half
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.