Otto scores first training win
Well-known equestrian Natacha Otto hasn’t taken long to notch up her first training success, bringing it up at just her fourth start at Woodville on Friday when Maranello (NZ) (Ace High) took out the Clarrie Mudgway Memorial (1400m).
The former Brent Gillovic-trained gelding hadn’t been sighted on raceday since running last over 1340m at Wanganui 15 months ago, and he was unwanted by punters, who let him drift out to a $45.50 winning quote.
Under veteran hoop Jonathan Riddell, Maranello was quick out of the gates, but was quickly taken back to settle towards the rear of the field. Riddell began to work his charge into the race with 500m to go, but at the top of the straight they were met by a wall of horses in front of them. Riddell was able to find a passage out wide and Maranello stormed home to score a half length victory over Ena Sharples (NZ) (Contributer).
Otto was duly rapt with his first training triumph.
“It was hugely exciting,” she said. “He has always been a lovely horse. Being by Ace High he has taken time to mature. He had a nice trial at Pukekohe and ran on nicely, I was really happy with him. We didn’t know how the track would suit him today, but he won like a good horse.”
Otto, who acquired Maranello off co-breeder Denise Howell, said he was an immature younger horse and a year break has enabled him to fully strengthen.
“He was bred by Denise Howell and she asked if we would take him and go in partnership with her, so we took him on and got him going,” Otto said.
“He hadn’t raced for a year because we turned him out to mature because he was a little bit erratic last year,” Otto said. “We turned him out for a whole year to strengthen up, which he has, he has come back in impeccable order, so we are pretty excited about him.”
While in the infancy of her training career, horses are nothing new to Otto, who has spent her entire life riding, primarily in the show ring, where she competed to the highest level.
“I grew up riding in the competition scene,” Otto said. “I was showing and I have won all the major titles in New Zealand and won nearly 45 Horse of the Year titles.
“Showing has been my big thing, and I have competed in Australia and England.”
Like many equestrians, Otto dabbled in riding track work, initially in the lower North Island before she moved to Waikato to work in aviation.
“I have ridden work for the likes of Grant Searle, Errol Skelton and Robert Priscott,” Otto said. “I rode for Robert Priscott when I was a flight attendant up in the Waikato, and that is how I came up to the Waikato.”
Otto now operates Gosford Park Equine in Te Awamutu, which specialises in pre-training, ready to run sale preparation, as well as training event and show horses.
It was only a natural progression that Otto would go on to take out her trainer’s licence, and she is enjoying the new experience.
“We do a lot of pre-trainers and ready to run horses,” she said. “We had a lot of horses with half shares in them, so I thought we need to get our licence and race them ourselves and take our horses to the trials instead of sending them off to other people.
“I have got a few to come back in at the beginning of next month, but at present we have got four racing and a draft that are going to go to the Ready to Run Sales that we have purchased in Australia.
“We have done quite a few drafts and I thoroughly enjoy it. This year we will aim to have between six and 10 (two-year-olds in our draft).”
While looking forward to the sales later this year, Otto is enjoying her maiden training win and is hopeful of quickly adding to it at Ellerslie on Saturday where Mafia Whispers will contest the Living Turf 1200.
“She ran a nice race first-up a fortnight ago, and she has come on very well,” Otto said. “She is a lovely mare, so hopefully she runs well tomorrow.”
