Tragedy to Triumph

Credit - Matt Markham - The Press

A lightning bolt, an insurance payout and some good old fashioned luck played a part in Costa Viva's 1000 Guineas win at Riccarton on Saturday.

The Jason Bridgman-trained filly claimed the feature female race of the Cup Week carnival in an emphatic manner, downing the colours of hot favourite Bounding in the final strides of the race, thanks largely to a well-devised and executed Leith Innes ride.

But the story could have been a lot different.

The filly's owners - Diane Ford, Ray and Jan Batten and Dave and Nicky Hurst - were initially in on a High Chaparral filly purchased by Te Akau's David Ellis at the Premier Sale for $150,000.

Unfortunately the filly was killed in her paddock during a freak lightning storm, leaving the group without a horse.

Ellis was quickly into action, and with the insurance payout the small syndicate soon had an Encosta De Lago filly from the Gold Coast Sale for $100,000. She was named Costa Viva.

"Something good thankfully came from something quite horrible," Ellis said.

"We didn't have to pay a lot for her [Costa Viva], the price we did get was a wee bonus really.

"You could just tell she wasn't going to make it as a two-year-old, but she really looked like a filly who could go on and be a contender in a race like the 1000 Guineas."

Ellis, who missed his first Cup Week in over 20 years on doctor's advice following heart surgery eight weeks ago, said it was tough not being on course for a week which Te Akau has traditionally dominated.

Costa Viva's victory was the seventh win from the establishment in a Guineas race on the course in the past decade.

"With the Ready To Run sale this week, the doctor wasn't too keen on me travelling down to Christchurch which was unfortunate.

"But watching Costa Viva win on Saturday gave me as bigger thrill as I have ever had in racing I think.

"From a business sense it's great, because as the leading buyer at Karaka you need results like this to maintain your credibility and I'd like to think we have once again shown we can get results."

Bridgman has always held Costa Viva in high regard, along with stablemate Spellbinder, who ran a credible third in the race, and even went as far as to say they were the best two fillies he had trained since the brilliant King's Rose, who won the 1000 Guineas in 2010.

A bold win over stablemate Chambord in the Ray Coupland Stakes set the platform on which confidence grew for the Matamata trainer.

"I went back through 33 years of history of the Ray Coupland and it told me we were in with a good chance," he said.

Ellis was keen to pay tribute to stable staffer Pam Gerard, who had travelled to Christchurch with five horses almost six weeks ago."And then Chambord's run last week reinforced it again."

"That was a big thing to leave to wee kids at home and go down there, but she's an absolute professional and has done a fantastic job."

Gerard's role of honour since travelling south includes a quinella in the Ray Coupland Stakes, a win in the Spring Classic with Viana, a placing in the 2000 Guineas, victory to Dreamer on the opening day of the carnival and a win and a third in Saturday's Group I feature.