Racing: Unfinished business after Coventina Bay's big win

Craig Grylls guides Coventina Bay to victory in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa. Photo / Trish Dunell

Robbie Patterson has some unfinished business after Coventina Bay gave him the biggest thrill of his training career at Te Rapa.

The brilliant mare overcame a bad barrier draw to win New Zealand's richest weight-for-age race, the $400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, when she surged past Vernanme after a lovely Craig Grylls ride.

Drifting favourite The Chosen One was third after being trapped three wide for the entire 2000m event, his spot in the race only guaranteed after a veterinary examination was performed when he banged his knee on the way to the track.

Even allowing for The Chosen One's luckless day at the office, few could begrudge Coventina Bay her first Group 1 after a wonderful body of work over the past year in which she has won a Group 2 and a Group 3 but also been placed twice at Group 1 level behind genuine stars in Avantage and The Chosen One.

With the Group 1 filed away in her future broodmare resume and 2000m now clearly in her comfort zone, Coventina Bay would seem a natural fit for the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes at Ellerslie on March 13, but Patterson says that is no sure thing.

"She has had some hard racing and some travelling, twice to Trentham and then here all in the last month," he said.

"So I will toy with the idea of easing up on her and aiming at the NZ Breeders back to the 1600m in April, then Aussie."

A return to Australia would give Patterson a shot at redemption after Coventina Bay found it too tough at the Queensland carnival last winter.

Now she has proved she can run 2000m, it becomes a lot easier to stay in a competitive position, and while Patterson's preferred target of the Doomben Cup is still a mountain to climb, he thinks he has the right climbing partner.

"I'd love to take her back over there now we know she could run a middle distance.

"Her old regular rider Sam Collett is in Queensland now and we would both like to show the Aussies how good this horse is."

Today's win was Patterson's first Group1 training on his own, having won the 2006 New Zealand Oaks with Legs when he trained in partnership with Kevin Gray.