Gear change working wonders for New Plymouth gelding

A gear change looks to have worked wonders for promising three-year-old Skattebo (NZ) (Nadeem), who scored his second successive win in winkers at his home track of New Plymouth on Saturday when taking out the Hirepool New Plymouth 1600.

From his ace draw, he was stoked up early by jockey Chris Dell to maintain his advantage on the rail and dictated terms up front. Down the home straight he was attacked from all sides and found himself sandwiched between Midnight Train (NZ) (Yes Yes Yes) and Capaci (NZ) (Tivaci), but he showed his dogged termination when fighting back to win by a quarter of a length.

Dell, who has ridden the three-year-old son of Nadeem in all three of his raceday starts to date, said he has shown ability right from the start but the addition of winkers following his debut fourth placing proved to be a masterstroke.

“He has impressed in his jumpouts early on before he had his first start,” Dell said. “He did things wrong and we put winkers on and he has been unbeaten in them now. The gear change has sent him the right way.

“Kelly Myers’ horse (Capaci) was placed in a black-type race, so hopefully he can go on a bit, he does appreciate a bit of cut in the track too.

“It was good to get the win for Janelle because she owns the horse too, so that makes it even better.”

Millar, who also co-bred the gelding, said Skattebo has a big heart, which he put on display on Saturday.

“He is only small but when he goes out there he puts in 100 percent,” she said. “They took him on early and I thought he had done too much but he kicked again, he has got a big heart.

“Chris and I did discuss whether he would get the mile, and he finished off really strong in his last start, and being on his home turf too, he knows where he is, it’s not far from the paddock.”

With Skattebo’s liking for heavier going, Millar said they may press on into winter with the gelding.

“We think he likes the cut in the track as well, so we will just see what happens over the next couple of days and whether we put him out for a week and go again, we will just see how he pulls up,” she said.

Millar secured a home double at the meeting when Dell partnered stablemate Prince Of Diamonds (NZ) (Time Test) to victory in the Seaton Park 1400, while a race prior, they came up just short with race favourite Ayteem (NZ) (Eminent) in the Wash Squad (2000m).