She's Not Bad - 3rd Taupo Winner
Date: 30 Dec 2019
After winning consecutive races with Willpower (Power) and Lucky Shark (Darci Brahma), trainer Jamie Richards stepped up a notch with a quinella in the $11,000 Valachi Downs Rating 72 1400 metres on 30 December at Taupo.
The race was won by She's Not Bad (5 m He's Remarkable - Andra, by Zeditave), who narrowly defeated Shezathinka (So You Think).
Racing in the Mapperley Stud colours, She's Not Bad was a bred by Simms Davison at Mapperley Stud, a product of resident stallion He's Remarkable (Pentire), and he races the mare with Chittick Investments.
Dropping back in grade after a notable effort for fifth in a good field for the Rating 82 1400 metres on 14 December at Awapuni, Te Akau apprentice Chelsea Burdan gained weight relief to 57.5kgs, enabling She's Not Bad to record her fifth win from 12 starts.
“She hadn't been racing badly in Rating 82 grade, but appreciated softer company with a claim,†Richards said. “She's been sparingly raced and with confidence from the win hopefully we can get her through to some better races.â€
Out well to sit outside Shezathinka, who was afforded a leisurely lead, Burdan applied pressure rounding the home turn and held a narrow advantage to the line.
“I thought there would be a bit of pace out wide, but Joe (Kamaruddin) and Chelsea (Burdan) worked it out,†said stable foreman Paul Richards.
“They hadn't gone hard early and Chelsea worked out that it was going to be a sprint home, and that those behind would have to go quicker than what she did.
“Chelsea's getting stronger in a finish and mentally getting more mature, as well. She's got it all in front of her. And Joe will get there soon. He rode Shezathinka well and it wasn't his day, but his turn will come.â€
She's Not Bad drifted in betting to return luxurious odds ($3.80 & $2.20) in a race offering only two place dividends, while a slow tempo was reflected in the time of 1:27.9 for 1400 metres on Good3 footing.
“It was good, actually, going slowly because she had a lot to sprint home on and hit the line really strongly,†Burdan said. “It was helpful with her stable-mate there to guide her, as well.â€
A good-looking, correct, mare with an action to match, She's Not Bad is the sixth individual winner from Andra, a mare that won two sprint races to 1100 metres in Australia. Her sire, Zeditave (The Judge), was one of the best sprinters in Australia, while grand-dam sire Twig Moss (Luthier) produced milers and also features in the dam line of Champion stallion Fastnet Rock (Danehill).
“It's great to get a win for Simms Davison and Garry Chittick,†said Te Akau principal David Ellis. “We love getting the support from breeders in the stable and this mare has always been progressive. I remember when she won impressively on debut at Avondale, by quite a margin, thinking that she might have a fair bit of upside.
“Jamie (Richards) has handled her patiently. The owners have let him make the decisions and she's deserving of competing in some stakes' races. She's raced well into the autumn before and no reason why she can't measure up against some of the better mares.
“There were some nice efforts today, including Shezathinka who finished second to She's Not Bad. She was a stakes' placed Maiden in the Lowland Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) and you can see that once she gets over ground that she's not going to be far away from winning again.
“Also today, we had two winners from the colt barn at Matamata, where Mette (Mosebo) is doing a huge job filling in for Scott Lucock who has a bad back at the moment. And, Chelsea (Burdan) and Joe (Kamaruddin), it was a big thrill to see the Te Akau apprentices land the quinella.
“It won't be long before Joe rides a winner. It's great to see Chelsea riding so well. She's showing judgment now, and once she learns to use the whip in both hands then she'll really start to progress her riding.
“She's beautifully balanced on a horse, a lovely hands and heels rider, but she'll go to the next level once she uses the whip more effectively. I'm predicting a bright future for her.â€
She's Not Bad was strapped by Ashley Handley.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz
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