Racing: Little Bit Of Love looks to step up further at Te Rapa

Little Bit Of Love is back in action at Te Rapa today. Photo / Race Images

What talented galloper Little Bit Of Love does on the track makes up for how he looks off it.

That is not that the four-year-old, who is chasing his fifth win on end at Te Rapa today, isn’t a good-looking horse. Let’s just say there isn’t a lot of him to love.

“He is only about 465kgs, he doesn’t carry any weight,” explains co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan.

That is very light for a mature thoroughbred, many of who get up to 520kgs or even the 540kg range and the part O’Sullivan can’t understand is how Little Bit Of Love is so skinny.

“He would be the biggest eating horse we have in the stable,” he told the Herald.

“He eats more than Waitak or Dragon Leap and the top horses but I don’t where he puts it all.

“Sometimes when he is parading I’m a little bit embarrassed because it looks like we don’t feed him,” he laughs.

It might be a case of high input producing maximum output for Little Bit Of Love as he has a good horse’s record of five wins from eight starts for his syndicate managed by former international model now racehorse breeder and syndicator Kylie Bax.

He had to be brave to overhaul Wessex at Pukekohe last start and seems to skip over the winter mud, which could be crucial at Te Rapa today after the rain that has fallen in the north.

As good as Little Bit Of Love has been winning his recent starts he may have to step up further to beat a track specialist in Turn The Ace in an open handicap 1600m that has a fair bit of depth.

It also features just the second New Zealand starter for trainer Barbara Kennedy, the wife of superstar jockey Warren Kennedy, who now has her licence here after training in South Africa and has taken over the stable, and some of the horses, of recently retired couple Peter and Dawn Williams.

Kennedy lines up good winter mare Our Tristabelle in the race, ironically with her husband trying to beat her as Warren rides Freeze Frame.
O’Sullivan and training partner Andrew Scott also have mud lover Highligter in today’s open sprint (Race 4) against speedsters Babylon Berlin and Johny Johny in a rare winter speed treat.
“She loves the wet and was really good winning last start and while this is tougher she can win again.

“The reasons are her weight [51kgs with Donovan Cooper’s allowance] and she will love the wet.”

The other focus at Te Rapa will be the Waikato Hurdle and Steeplechase, the first featuring the clash between two top hurdlers in Nedwin and Berry The Cash while The Cossack will dominate the Steeples, especially with the scratching of second favourite Izymydaad.

The O’Sullivan/Scott team also has Geriatrix in the A$200,000 Gunsynd Classic for three-year-olds at today’s Stradbroke meeting at Eagle Farm.

He meets Cambridge filly Mary Shan in the 1600m Group 3 but O’Sullivan says Geriatrix would prefer a shower of rain today.

“He won really well there last starts but he seems to enjoy it most when he can get his toe into the ground [wetter tracks],” he explains.

“He is a good horse and we have Craig Williams on board but a shower or two would help.”

Geriatrix is rated the $5.50 second favourite but Mary Shan is an $11 chance after drawing wide.