Tricks Triumphant

Date: 8 Oct 2014

Tricks Triumphant

Te Akau saved the best for last today, taking out the final race at the Taupo meeting with No Tricks at just her second race day appearance.

A three year old filly by Savabeel from the unraced Al Akbar mare Mezaire, No Tricks put in an impressive performance to take out the Taupo Veterinary Services Maiden 1300m event by over three lengths for her breeders and owners Paul and Cushla Smithies under their Monovale Holdings banner.

Two weeks shy of her third birthday No Tricks, or Cushla as she is known to Team Te Akau, was slow away from the gates. Senior hoop and Te Akau Racing's stable rider Matthew Cameron didn't panic and settled her back second last in the running off a hot pace.

“I knew she could sometimes be anxious in the gates, she did lunge at them a bit and ended up missing the start. I think it was a bit of a blessing because there ended up being some rough racing up front and we settled back out of it.

"She relaxed really well, cruised around them on the turn, got up some momentum down the hill and showed a great turn of foot down the straight,” said Matthew.

“It was a huge effort and she did it so impressively- the way she kicked away from them. The better ground was important for her today, she has improved a lot for her first start when the heavy going tripped her up,” he continued.

Official time for the 1300m was 1:18.36 with the last 600m recorded as 35.88 off the front, showing No Tricks ran some very speedy sectionals from back in the field.

Trumping her debut form at Avondale on a heavy track when finishing a brave third, she now looks to have plenty of age group options ahead this season.

Trainer Jason Bridgman was pleased with the effort, saying, “It is such a pleasure to train for the Smithies. They are lovely people, very patient and aren't they having a great year with their horses.

“We formed an opinion of her after her first trial in the late autumn, she was obviously above average in my mind. And on what she did today, this filly looks very progressive. She has plenty of options going forward with her ability to settle, her scope and turn of foot. We'll just let the dust settle before we decide where to go with her from here.

“She only had two trials before she debuted at Avondale. Being that lightly tried, she was always going to improve with the run and we were pretty confident going into today. The ground was a bit too wet for her at Avondale but she showed her class today.”

No Tricks was offered by Monovale Farm at the 2013 Premier Session of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales but was retained by her breeders when she did not meet reserve.

Waikato Stud's young sire Savabeel continues to produce impressive performers on the race track and currently lies third on the sire premiership with his leading domestic earner Costume having taken out the Group 1 Livamol Classic over 2040m on the weekend.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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