"Perky Autridge" in Winner's Circle

The New Zealand Herald reports (and by the way that was its headline) .....

Two elements characterise the Autridge family - horsemanship and humour.

Asked his age yesterday, Stephen Autridge said: "Halfway to 110".

Fair enough. Autridge had reason to be in a humorous mood - on Saturday he prepared his first winner in his new position as trainer for David Ellis' Te Akau Stables.

Even better, outsider Stella Di Paco's gritty win was in a listed stakes race, Wanganui's $50,000 John Turkington Castletown Stakes.  And his great mate, Sydney finance operator Max Whitby, owns the filly.

It was also a huge thrill for Autridge's young training partner Jamie Richards, son of former southern trainer Paul Richards, now training in Auckland.

Stephen Autridge showed his astute horsemanship in setting Stella Di Paco for a listed race like Saturday's after two raceday appearances produced a sixth and an 11th.

"She only got halfway on a very heavy track at Rotorua at her first start, and then in that good Avondale 2-year-old field she led them up to the 200m and faded.  Immediately I thought we'd spell her. But, when I went down to talk to the rider [Anna Jones] as she dismounted the filly nearly blew me over.

"I knew then there was improvement in her so I called Max and said we were going to be a bit cheeky and tackle a listed race."

Stella Di Paco lacks size and was ridden by the tallest jockey in the race, Johnathon Parkes.

"When he came out to mount he was told: 'Don't worry about the size, do what we ask and you'll just about win the race'."

There was an element of confidence, despite the $45 tote price.  Stella Di Paco led and looked beaten several times in the home straight but stuck gallantly to a narrow advantage.

The filly is the first horse Max Whitby has bred. "It has his brand WB on her shoulder," says Autridge, who has prepared around 770 career winners.   The Ryder Stakes is probably a target.

Autridge and Richards have only a few runners on the radar, the bulk of their good Te Akau horses are just coming into regular work to prepare for the spring.