Racing: Spanish Whisper wins by a nose

Spanish Whisper on the inside just gets the better of She s A Thief at Matamata yesterday. Photo / Trish Dunell

Peter and Dawn Williams will please rival trainers if they play the waiting game with Spanish Whisper.

The husband and wife team produced the daughter of Lope De Vega for a hard-fought victory in yesterday's two J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and they are undecided on a start in the group one Sistema Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie in a fortnight.

"We'll play it by ear whether we go there or not," Peter Williams said. "She's going to be a better three-year-old."

A debut winner in December, the filly then finished runner-up behind the subsequent Karaka Million (1200m) winner Avantage in mid-January.

Spanish Whisper made the running and was hotly challenged by She's A Thief 200m from home with just a nose separating them.

"She jumped well enough and then had to work hard to get to the front, the whole length of the back straight," rider Vinnie Colgan said. "She relaxed a bit across the top and then fought hard, she beat a good horse today."

She's A Thief also had to work hard from the outside gate to get close to the pace and was tenacious in the straight.

"She was very brave, you can't ask any more really," co-trainer Pam Gerard said. "She's got a fantastic nature and she's getting better all the time."

Spanish Whisper and She's A Thief had the finish to themselves with The Real Beel two and three-quarter lengths back in third.

Earlier, the group two Reid & Harrison Slipper for 2YOs went to the favourite Sword of Osman with Opie Bosson leading from the start and running his rivals ragged. Thomas Aquinas was six lengths away third with Handsome Rebel third.

The Savabeel gelding is prepared at Matamata by the Te Akau Racing training partnership of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richardson.

- NZ Racing Desk