Stella After Second Stakes' Win

The Informant writes:

Having given Jamie Richards a dream start to his training career with a Listed victory in May, Stella Di Paco will shoot for her second stakes' win of the season when she lines up in tomorrow's (Saturday) Listed Courtesy Ford Ryder Stakes at Otaki.

The Paco Boy filly was a courageous all-the-way winner of the Castletown Stakes at Wanganui on May 30, a 45-to-one upset that brought up the first success and first stakes' win for the new Te Akau combination of Richards and senior training partner Stephen Autridge.

“She was originally with Stephen's stable and I only got to know her in the few weeks before that win, but she became a special horse for us,” Richards told The Informant. “It was great that she was able to start us off with a hiss and a roar like that. Hopefully it can continue.”

Stella Di Paco's only subsequent start was at Ruakaka on a much drier Dead4 track. She sat in second-last position before unwinding nicely down the straight to finish fourth, two necks and a length behind the winner Amarula. The 1200 metres were covered in 1:11.77.

“It was a terrific run,” Richards said. “She had led in the Castletown and Stephen wanted to find out if she was just one-dimensional or if she had a few tricks up her sleeve. We tried to see if she could be ridden a bit colder.

“We were really happy to see her hit the line so well on top of the ground like that, and her rider Matt Cameron was rapt with the run.”

Richards, who has now trained four winners and is looking forward to unleashing an exciting team of 50 young horses at the Te Teko trials on August 5, reported that Stella Di Paco's recent training has been first-rate.

“She's been working really well,” he said. “She galloped on the course proper on Tuesday morning and was as good as we could have asked for. Her rider Cameron Lammas was really pleased with her. She's ticking over well.

“She's drawn wide at 12, but hopefully we can get some luck in the running. The jockeys who rode her in her last two races are both unavailable. Matt Cameron is out of the country and Johnathon Parkes is having a break as well, so Cameron Lammas will take the mount on Saturday. He does a lot of work for us behind the scenes and he knows the horse well.”

Stella Di Paco is one of three runners entered in tomorrow's race carrying the familiar green colours of owner Max Whitby. The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson-trained Lucky Edie won impressively over 800 metres on his debut at Hastings on July 16. He will be ridden by Lee Magorrian, who has enjoyed a career-best season with 54 winners but is looking for his first black-type success. Makfi filly Good Lookin' Gal has had a placing from three starts and is trained by Graham Richardson. She requires a scratching to make the field.