Brenna Cooks up first training win

Illusionist has been a test of patience for owner-trainer Brenna Cook, but her persistence was rewarded when he posted her first training win in the Cup Week Tickets On Sale Now Maiden (2200m) at Riccarton’s synthetic meeting on Thursday.

The six-year-old son of Zacinto had 15 prior starts for two placings, including a runner-up effort over a mile at the Christchurch track a fortnight ago.

Cook was pleased with her charge heading into Thursday but did have concerns about stepping him up to 2200m for the first time. However, she needn’t have worried, with Illusionist running out a dominant three-length victor over Gap It.

“I am really rapt. I am very proud of him,” Cook said.

“I knew he was fit and ready, but I was a bit concerned about the extra distance after the mile got scratched. I knew his fitness was there, it was just seeing out the 2200m.

“He has been a headscratcher, and he has been a really slow learner, so to see him show some improvement was really nice.

“He hasn’t been the easiest horse, but he is just clicking now, which is nice.”

Cook doesn’t hail from a racing background, but she found herself in the sport after she left school and she has enjoyed working with both thoroughbreds and standardbreds.

“When I left school I needed something to do, so I went to the horses,” she said.

“I started working in harness racing when I was 15 in dual code with Amber Hoffman. I then moved to Canterbury and did a bit with the Parsons and now I am at Robbie Holmes’ doing dual code again.”

The Balcairn-based horsewoman had competed in eventing as a teenager, but her focus completely turned to racing once she entered the industry.

“I did a lot of eventing for about four years and then went on to racing and I have only done racing since,” she said.

Cook has held ambitions of becoming a trainer since she entered the industry, and Illusionist was the catalyst to pull the trigger and take out her licence last year.

“I was very fortunate and got given Illusionist by John Clapham,” Cook said. “I had a mare that John had bred and when she finished John messaged me and said I could have this fella if I wanted him.

“Training has always been in the back of my mind and when I got offered this fella, I got him as a weanling, I broke him in and thought I have done everything with him so I may as well keep going.”

With a win now under her belt as both an owner and a trainer, Cook is keen to taste success as a breeder, and is hopeful a three-year-old filly she bred can provide that moment.

It hasn’t been an easy road for Cook with her filly, and she is hoping all her hard work and perseverance is rewarded on the track.

“I have got a three-year-old War Decree filly that I bred, and she is from John Clapham’s family too. She is just doing her second prep now,” Cook said.

“It has been quite tough with her. I nearly lost her to Salmonella and then she put her leg through a fence. She has been a long time coming but it looks like she should be nice. It is just a time thing.”

With spring in the air, Cook is now looking forward to the warmer weather and better tracks, which she said Illusionist will appreciated when he returns to racing on the grass.

“He will go to a grass meeting somewhere, but we will need a harder track, he doesn’t handle the wet,” she said. “I will just freshen him up a bit and kick on again.”