Flaming on Fire - Saturday Win No.2

Te Akau Racing's second Riccarton win came courtesy of Flaming ...

Nine-year-old Meg Hazlett, daughter of Te Akau assistant trainer Pam Gerard and Tommy Hazlett, got her televised pre-race prediction spot on when she said Flaming (4 m Bachelor Duke - Flying Firebird, by Stravinsky) would “go pretty good”.

“I was going to say ‘I think she can win it' but I decided not to,” said Meg, who has been helping out with the horses for the past few days.

“I've been swimming her in the mornings, before she works and one day I rode her up to the track and back, with Dan (Miller) leading me. And I led her back from the track when Jamie (Richards) was riding Madame Jamai. I lead her in from the paddock, brush her and strop her up in the afternoons.

“I always say she (Flaming) can win. She's not naughty and she's always nice to me,” said Meg (pictured below with Daniel Miller and Flaming part-owner Karyn).

Impressive winning as a two-year-old over 1200 metres on good footing at Te Rapa, Flaming staged a massive performance to win over the same trip on 3 October at Riccarton, and came of age in some respects with a polished performance to take out the $40,000 Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Premier Rating 75 1200 metres.

A lovely mare in temperament, with an action and stride to match, Flaming is owned by the Te Akau Flaming Syndicate, and was ‘good buying' when David Ellis secured her for $60,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale in 2011, from the draft of The Oaks Stud.

Away well before be shuffled back when steadied, Flaming improved on the rail to three back at the 600m for rider Michael McNab and after angling into the clear at the 250m she unwound a big finish to win easily by one length.

Flaming ran the 1200 metres in a very smart time of 1:08.5, last 600m in 34.0, and returned generous odds of $8.20 & $2.60.

“Pam (Gerard) has done a lot of work with this filly and the owners have been very patient,” said co-trainer Jamie Richards. “We haven't had a lot of luck at times, but she's put her hand up today.

“I said to Michael (McNab) when I gave him a leg up, ‘ride her for a split and she'll go bang'.

“We thought we had her pretty right during the week; she was as free as a bird, and he's (McNab) is doing a good job.

Going forward, Richards outlined a possible plan for Flaming.

“There is a nice 85 1200 metres at Cromwell [Nov. 29], worth a bit of money, and then we could sneak into the listed sprint on Boxing Day at Wingatui, on the bottom of the handicap, and it might a good opportunity to get a bit of black type.

“We'll just get through today, see how she pulls up and make some plans,” said Richards.

Rider, Michael McNab said: “They ran along quickly early and I got back a little further than I wanted to, but when I really asked her to quicken up she did and when I got the split she was electrifying and she held on well.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz