First Chorus sings a winning tune at Caulfield
Hot favourite First Chorus (NZ) (Ghibelline) returned to her winning ways when she came from last to bolt home in the Benchmark 78 Rod Fenwick Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.
Sporting the colours of Spicer Thoroughbreds and relishing the Heavy8 track conditions, the four-year-old mare sat last in the running for rider Jamie Mott before unleashing her final burst as the widest runner in the home straight.
Trainer Lindsey Smith had expressed plenty of confidence before the race after the mare had failed on unsuitable firm footing at Flemington last start and with the moisture in the surface on Saturday his charge made short work of her rivals in the concluding stages, winning under a hold by just over two lengths from Enna’s Dream (Winning Rupert) who also ran home well late but was no match for the winner.
Smith was pleased to see his charge bounce back from her last start failure.
“She dropped in grade to her last run and I was a bit more hopeful as the ground suited her and she has been feeling good the last few days,” Smith said.
“She has spent time down at the beach and she feels the hard ground, so she got it right today with the scratchings and the track conditions.
“There is a race next week for her at Flemington, a Benchmark84 where we can claim, so if it rains we will be here again next week.
Mott had some concerns in the run but when he asked the mare in the home straight, she stretched out really well.
“I thought I would be outside the leader but there was more pressure so I trusted her to travel comfortably and she did it well.
“I was a little concerned on the corner she wasn’t going that well but she travels in the ground, she loves the heavy ground, and she wound up nicely in the run home.”
First Chorus was bred by Dean Lawrence with his mother-in-law, Diana Duff-Staniland and Paul Duffus and was purchased privately by Brad Spicer of Spicer Thoroughbreds.
She is a full sister to seven-time winner Bellini Miss (NZ), with the pair out of the winning O’Reilly mare Broadway Miss (NZ).
Her fifth win from just 11 starts has now netted her A$232,760 in prizemoney.
Winner: First Chorus (NZ) 2021
Owners: Mr B J Spicer, Mr S S Roth, Mr D R Wockner, Grass Roots Racing, A A F T'Angles, Mr B Man, Mr S Crisci, Mr C Sacchetta, Mr M R Cawley, Mr C D Taylor, Mr C P Byrne, Mr G A Kernahan, Mr D Davies, Mr M Stevens, Mr N Johnstone, Bell View Park Stud
Trainer: Mr Lindsey Smith (Geelong)
Breeding: by Ghibellines (AUS) out of Broadway Miss (NZ) by O'Reilly (NZ)
Breeder: Ms D Duff-Staniland, P M Duffus & D R Lawrence
