Despite some anxious moments loading into the starting gates and a tough trip in transit, classy Hellbent filly Hawea still managed to claim an impressive victory in the Group III HBPB Thoroughbred Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in New Zealand on Saturday.
Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall had Hawea primed for the contest after an impressive first-up win at Taupo last month.
However, Hawea decided that she wasn’t happy with arrangements at the start as she steadfastly refused to enter her barrier for several minutes, testing the patience of the starter to the point where she was close to being declared a late scratching.
Finally secured in gate six, Hawea jumped well but was caught three-wide behind the pace for rider Wiremu Pinn, as Startles and Perfect Chaos set a torrid speed in front before Perfect Chaos eased clear rounding the home bend.
Pinn asked Hawea to go at that stage and she bravely lengthened stride to strike the lead before holding out strong late runs from Liguria and Dashing Dixie to claim her second successive victory in her current campaign.
Richardson cut a relieved figure after the race, admitting his heart was in his mouth as the minutes ticked by while his charge challenged the starting attendants.
“It’s hard watching them live and I couldn’t see too much, so I had to rely on the commentator,” Richardson said.
“I had a guy beside me say ‘she’s not going in the gates, and I just went ‘oh god’ and closed my eyes.
“Wiremu was very confident before the race and when I couldn’t see too much, I did hear the commentator say she was three wide, so that was just impressive wasn’t it.
“She does pin her ears back though and loves to be in front.
“She will improve a lot from this as she still isn’t right in the coat, but we will probably go to the Soliloquy (Gr.2, 1400m) and then go down to Riccarton (Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas, 1600m).”
Pinn was first to comment on how badly he believed he had ridden the filly.
“I said to Richie, I would ride her like the best horse today, but I didn’t mean that bad,” he said.
“It was a shocker, but she is a lovely filly and has shown how much ability she has.
“She can just switch off in her races, and her turn of foot is electric. I probably should have ridden her cold, but she is so versatile.
“Put a line through the ride but not the horse.”
Hawea holds a nomination for both the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), where she is the $4 Fixed Odds favourite for the 1000 Guineas and an $18 shot in the 2000 Guineas.
She is raced by a large syndicate that includes former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum and has now won two of five starts and over $171,000 for the group.
A $300,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase from the Wentwood Grange draft for Brendon McCullum & Richardson Racing, Hawea is a half-sister to stakes-placed Romilly and is the best of four winners from Idlewild.
A placed half-sister by Lonhro to Group II winner Caymans and stakes-winner Adroitly, Idlewild traces back to a great old New Zealand family and the fourth dam of Hawea is Solveig, the NZ 3YO Filly of the Year in 1984/1985.
Hawea is another top class filly for Yarraman Park’s Hellbent, who stands at a fee of $55,000 this spring.
Idlewild produced another filly last spring by Hellbent and is back in foal to him again.
