New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson is thankful he is still alive following the devastation of losing his house to a fire earlier this week.
While he has lost his household possessions, Patterson is grateful that he and his daughter weren’t at home at the time of the incident, and they can rebuild their lives.
“My house burnt down and we lost everything, but we didn’t lose our lives,” Patterson said.
“It was very fortuitous that we weren’t there because we wouldn’t have survived it, it was pretty messy, and it happened in the very early hours of the morning when we would have been asleep. We are very lucky to live.”
Taking a silver lining approach to the incident, Patterson has pressed on with his race team and is looking forward to heading south to Trentham on Sunday where his star filly Leica Lucy will contest the Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m), her final lead-in run to next month’s $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m).
The daughter of Derryn has been a revelation for Patterson and owner-breeders Peter and Heather Crofskey, winning three of her first four starts, including the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Her impressive run of form caught the eye of prominent Australian owner Ozzie Kheir, who bought into the filly earlier this month, and she carried his familiar silks to victory in the Gr.2 Daivd & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa just days later.
Kheir will make the journey across the Tasman to watch his filly race this weekend, and Patterson is hopeful he can reward Kheir with a victory in the Group Two feature.
“It will be nice to meet him, and it would be lovely if he can watch his horse win,” Patterson said.
“She is 100 percent and has worked up super this week. She is bordering on being too well at the moment actually, she is thriving that much. I am really happy going into it.”
Leica Lucy is tipped to continue her winning streak, with TAB bookmakers installing her a $1.50 hot favourite for Sunday’s feature, ahead of Connello ($6.50) and Myakkabelle ($8).
Patterson is hoping stablemates One Bold Gigolo and Sir Bruce can also continue their winning ways, with the last-start winners set to contest the Rothley 1400 and Mana Plumbing 2100 respectively.
“It was a nice win last start from One Bold Gigolo, but he is going from a Thursday maiden to a Saturday race,” Patterson said. “But he is a progressive horse, he is well drawn (1), and he will put himself in the race. I can’t see why he can’t figure in the finish.
“Sir Bruce is another progressive staying type. He is going to get back from that draw (15), which isn’t going to be a worry. I would love to see him track into the race and if he can get a truly run race and a nice track, he will be flying down the outside.”
Patterson’s Trentham team will be rounded out by two-win Derryn mare Sinbin, who will contest the MG Tiling & Clarky’s Painting 1200.
“She is going to get back from that draw (11),” he said. “She went a super race fresh-up, she got home really strong at New Plymouth. A repeat of that performance will see her flashing home.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
