 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1994
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Robyn's Treasure powers home to take the Oaks |
For Robyn's Treasure, who produced a powerhouse finish to win the $60,000 Nevele R New Zealand Oaks (2600m) at Addington, practise made perfection. "The last three weeks I have concentrated on teaching her to stay and sprint home," said Whiterig (Gore) trainer Ross Wilson. "She has a tremendous sprint if you can sit and wait to use it."
Robyn's Treasure began from position 8 on the front line with Ricky May electing to ease her back from the wide draw. She was last with 600m to run and had to fly over the concluding stages to pick up the pacemaker Pretty Kiwi. There was a nose back to Perpetual Fiddler who fought on well for third. "Ricky said to me we were going to need a lot of luck from the draw," said Wilson. "And I told him he was the right man for the job." Wilson said that regular driver Ken Barron had done a good job but May had been given first choice seven months ago. "Ricky drove Robyn's Treasure to win her first race at Gore and we said to him then that we would give him first option to drive her," he said. "She won by more than six lengths that day."
Robyn's Treasure had one workout as a 2-year-old and was subsequently turned out to mature. The large Son Of Afella filly has shown Wilson that she has a mind of her own. "She is a hyper-active horse and has wrecked all of my carts," He said. "She is just learning how to settle now." It was Robyn's Treasure's second trip outside the Southland-Otago area. She had finished second to Countess Caroline (forced out of the Oaks through injury) at Ashburton in the sixth heat of the DB Draught Fillies Series.
The victory took her career record to three wins, three seconds and four thirds from 14 starts - earning her owners Ross Wilson and Tapanui's Graeme Edgar $51,950. Robyn's Treasure had been going sound races against older horses in her lead up form to the Oaks and was credited with 1:58 when finishing third to Mickday over a mile at Invercargill at her previous attempt.
Wilson, who is a part-time farmer and employee of Crawford's Chemical Company, was asked to pick out a yearling for Edgar at the Southland Sale (yearlings and mixed stock) in 1981. Robyn's Treasure's dam Ryal Robyn was thus purchased for $1200. "It was a Southland family I liked and Graeme wanted a horse he could race and breed from later on," said Wilson. She won three races and recorded seven places for trainer Ray McNally before leaving her first foal Pride of Robyn (by Lordship) in 1986. She won two races and has since left a yearling by Vance Hanover. The second winner from Ryal Robyn was Robin's Lad (by Lumber Dream) who gained one NZ win before being sold to Australia. The fourth foal and other winner to date is Robyn's Treasure.
Ryal Robyn, by Nevele Bigshot from Ryal Faye, is a sister to Blue Sapphire (4 wins) and a half sister to winners Ryal Hanover and Van Baron. Her granddam Petronella (by Whipster from Ronella) left useful performers Vita Man (9 wins) and Kelly Dillon (3 wins).
Credit: Philip O'Connor writing in HRNZ Weekly