Sunday Double - Tightly Laced Fast Paced

Effortless in winning, Tightly Laced (3 f American Pharoah – Soubrettes, by High Chaparral) looked well above average on debut in the $18,500 Erecta Fence Maiden 1000 metres on 12 November at Tauherenikau.

A stylish winner of both trials, most recently when flying the gates to lead and quickened clear to win very well on 31 October at Te Rapa, Tightly Laced is out of Stewards Handicap (Gr. 3, 1200m) winner Soubrettes (High Chaparral), placed in the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), that also won on debut and scored five times.

Ridden by Warren Kennedy, who won the opener on stable-mate Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), Tightly Laced secured a perfect run in the trail, was trucking behind the leader turning for home and she cleared out to win by five lengths.

“Boy, she’s put them away in a couple of big bounds and Tightly Laced makes it two for Te Akau and two for Warren Kennedy,” said commentator Tony Lee. “She bolted in.

“Phew, that was nice. When he asked her run, she found a stack and a very good win here.

“She’s got some ability though, look at that as she wrapped it up by a big margin.”

On Good4 footing, she ran 1000 metres in 57.2 and paid $2.00 & $1.40 on the NZ TAB tote.

Tightly Laced is bred and owned by Geoff Taylor (Octagon Bloodstock). 

“It was a really good win and I loved the way she quickened up,” said co-trainer Mark Walker. 

“It’s another big thrill for Geoff and Janetta Taylor. We’ve always had a great relationship with Geoff (Taylor). We leased Belmont Lodge off him when we had the South Island stable at Rangiora, and I always stayed with them. They’re great hosts, absolutely fantastic, and it great to train winners for them.

“It shows she’s quite an exciting filly to be able to display a turn of foot like that at her first start, so she’s got a lot ahead of her.”

Tightly Laced is a sister to Daytona Red, purchased by Peter Moody for $360,000 as a yearling at Karaka, and winner of five races to 1800 metres in Australia.

Taylor purchased Soubrettes for $50,000 as a yearling at Karaka, from the draft of Windsor Park Stud, with whom he also has a terrific relationship.

From one of their best families, third dam of Satirical (Kaapstad) left Champion Filly Star Satire (Volksraad), who was miraculously saved for breeding after breaking a leg, and she in turn left brilliant Australian filly Satin Shoes (Flying Spur) and Zarzuela (Zabeel). 

The latter, Zarzuela, was trained by Mark Walker to win the Great Northern Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m), Waikato Guineas (Gr. 3, 2000m), and Championship Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m), before finishing third in the NZ Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m). 

Tightly Laced stems from the same family as stable-mate It’s Business Time (Turn Me Loose), who has won six of her last seven starts and race favourite for the $250,000 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (Gr. 3, 1600m) on Wednesday at Riccarton. 

Te Akau principal David Ellis said: “Geoff and Janetta have had horses with Te Akau for a long time and we won our first Group One for them with Arlingtonboulevard (Spinning World), and it’s exciting to have another top filly in the making.

“The way she won today, she’s a black type filly if ever I’ve seen one. 

“It’s a great family, David Paykel’s family, so she’s got a lot going for.  It’s the same family as It’s Business Time and her work on Saturday morning was outstanding.”

Tightly Laced was strapped by Kohen Collett.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz