Spring stakes assignments are in the crosshairs for exciting gelding Twain following his victory in the Waihou Tavern (1150m) at Te Aroha on Monday.
The four-year-old son of Per Incanto and Group One-winning mare Fleur de Lune had won four and placed in two of his previous seven starts and was sent out a short-priced $1.20 on Monday by punters.
From his outside barrier in the six-horse field, Twain drifted back early to sit second-to-last before jockey Triston Moodley elected to punch forward to sit outside leader Caitlyns Wish.
Twain headed his rival at the top of the straight and continued to build on his advantage, eventually running out a comfortable 1-1/4 length victor, much to the relief of trainer John Bell.
“We had Julius and Mosse, and I have never been as nervous my whole life, there was a little pressure on,” Bell said.
“He didn’t like that (Heavy9) ground either I don’t think. We may give him another start and put him aside and wait for those black-type races later on in the spring and summer time.
“Ellerslie is nice, he enjoys that, and it’s a good surface. We will find something in the next three weeks.”
Moodley was just as pleased with the winning effort and is hopeful he can retain the ride on the progressive galloper.
“When I came out of the gates, he didn’t come out too well, so I decided to take a sit and go behind them, but no one wanted to lead and Maria (Sanson, Jockey aboard Caitlyns Wish) was going forward, so I decided I would lock onto her and follow her through, and it paid dividends,” Moodley said.
“Coming into the straight I had so much horse under me, so I let him stride forward and didn’t fight him anymore. He pulled away in the straight and even had the audacity to wait for them at the end.
“Hopefully I can stick with the ride for the future.”
Twain’s dam won six races, including the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), and Bell has his eyes on the latter with Twain early next season, which now holds Group Two status.
“He is a true professional, he is a horse we are going to enjoy in the future,” he said.
“It is nice to have some nice horses in the stable. For an old fella to get out of bed in the morning, I am starting to struggle, so a nice horse gets you out.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
