Derby Day Win No.4 - Entriviere
Date: 8 Mar 2021
Another horse from Te Akau Racing stable with enormous amounts of ability, Entriviere (4 m Tavistock - Marcey's Belt, by Golan) gave connections few causes for concern in winning the $100,000 Haunui Farm King's Plate (Gr. 3, 1200m) on Derby Day at Ellerslie.
Brilliant winning the Concorde Handicap (Gr. 3, 1200m) on Karaka Million night (23 Jan.) at Ellerslie, Entriviere made it five wins from six starts for Te Akau Buckle Up Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).
As rain fell, on footing already downgraded to Slow8, Entriviere overcame an awkward gate (10) to find a perfect spot in midfield for rider Danielle Johnson. Cruising along five lengths astern at the 600m, she was drawn widest on straightening and once asked to extend she raced clear over the concluding stages to score by two and a half lengths.
It was a tremendous performance by a gifted athlete and showed her versatility to handle yielding ground, steely determination, and potential as a top-line performer in the future.
“I'm pretty gobsmacked, really,†said Johnson, on dismounting. “Her previous wins have been so good, but today she's really put paid to them. We just went past them and said goodbye.
“When you're coming up against stakes proven horses it's never a sit-and-steer job, but a few things against her today: the wide draw, and set weights and penalties always makes it harder when she's carrying the same weight as horses rated five points ahead of her.
“Her work leading into today was super, and I'm never usually lost for words. She's bred to get over a bit of ground, but she's so electric over 1200 metres so when she tells Jamie (Richards) it's time to step up over ground he'll do so.â€
Paying $2.10 & $1.40, Entriviere ran the 1200 metres in 1:11.2.
“That was awesome and a top ride by Danielle (Johnson),†said Richards, whose grandparents share in the ownership. “Finding the back of Mascarpone in midfield was probably the winning of the race and she was never too far out of her ground.
“I thought when she got to the outside, she's got a wicked turn of foot and she really showed that there today. She's bound for the top drawer, I don't think there's any doubt about that.
“Her races have been spaced. She's been looked after and given time and we've got a great group of owners in her. We found her off the trials and we're really thrilled with the way that she's going.
“Whether she ends up in Australia one day, I'm not sure, but the way that she's going we might be able to make use of her handicap at some stage.â€
Entriviere was bred by Kevin & Kathleen Gray, Copper Belt Lodge, and purchased privately by David Ellis CNZM. She is from the family of triple Group 1 winner of the Cox Plate, Orr Stakes, and Yalumba Stakes, Maldivian (Zabeel).
Entriviere was strapped by Libby Richards.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz
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