Saturday’s $120,000 TAB Highway Plate (1800m) at Randwick was the second straight Highway victory for Leovanni, and the third consecutive win overall for the in-form mare.
The New Zealand-bred daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Proisir took 12 starts to collect her first victory, opening her account at Tamworth on July 3. But she hasn’t looked back from there, following it up with back-to-back Highway victories at Randwick on July 11 and now July 25.
Alysha Collett has been in the saddle for both of those Highway successes, and on Saturday she slotted Leovanni into a forward position on the outside of the front-running Otono.
Otono was labouring before the home turn, which left Leovanni clearly in the lead coming into the straight.
Leovanni gave Collett everything she asked for through the last 400m, finding plenty to hold out the late challenge of the previously unbeaten Maples by three-quarters of a length.
“As soon as Alysha got up outside the lead there, I was worried she may she would over-race,” trainer Cameron Crockett said.
“But when she relaxed and half switched off, I thought she won't let anything past her, because I know how tough she is.”
This winter has marked a turning point in Leovanni’s career.
“At one stage she was a complete disaster story,” Crockett said. “There was a race at Tamworth where I thought she’d just win and the remaining shares we had in her would sell themselves, but she stood in the gates, missed it by five and rattled home to be beaten by only a length.
“She got sent back to the trials and never jumped at her next two, didn't pass and it was getting worse, not better.”
These three consecutive victories in July have rewarded Crockett’s patience and left him with some thinking to do around Leovanni’s future itinerary.
“I don't want to spell her, but I will give her a bit of a freshen-up, because she has come a long way this prep,” he said.
Leovanni is by Proisir out of the winning Colombia mare Amparo, who is a three-quarter-sister to stakes winner Aimee’s Idol. The latter is the dam of Proisir’s Group Three-winning daughter Aimee’s Jewel, while the pedigree page also features the multiple black-type winners Irish Girl and Ready To Strike.
Leovanni was offered by Kilgravin Lodge at the 2023 NZB Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, where Blandford Bloodstock and Andrew Williams Bloodstock bought her for $210,000.
From a 14-start career, Leovanni has now recorded three wins and eight placings and has earned A$169,850. – NZ Racing Desk.
