 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2013
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2013 CANTERBURY BREEDERS NZ OAKS
Some things stay the same. Adore Me, for one. Another win, one classic after another. Some things don't change. Mark Purdon again.
Reaching for plaudits - "she's phenomenal, so relaxed, great rate of recovery." And more ..."she's gone 3.11. In those conditions, it's another three seconds."
Adore Me had just won the Canterbury Breeders New Zealand Oaks on a wet track from Safedra and Splendour. The win had been comfortable, by more the two lengths, after a midfield run before Purdon took off at the 2000m and had her in front before the mile.
Back home, in Auckland where he had enough on his plate the next day selling weanlings at the mixed sale, breeder and part-owner Charlie Roberts would have been overjoyed. Simply because of one short word - Oaks. For breeders, the Oaks is the high bar, the level of achievement that all aim for but few reach. Roberts has won countless races, and many big, but never the New Zealand Oaks - until now.
His part-owner and son-in-law Paul Kenny knew what it meant to Charlie. "It's the pinnacle of breeding achievement, something he has always wanted. It has been a lifetime goal, winning the Oaks here, and now he has it." Mary Kenny, Charlie's daughter and part-owner of Adore Me, said if it hadn't been for the sale, her 89-year-old father would have been on track. "He seldom misses a meeting at Alexandra Park and he's booked to be down for the Jewels," she said.
Not only did Roberts breed Adore Me, but also the third horse Splendour, which he part-owns. The pair were separated by Safedra, whose previous win was at Ascot Park before running out of space in the Nevele R Stud Fillies Final. While the winner was superior, Safedra came out and punched above her weight. She drew the outside of the gate, was four wide briefly when improving at the 1800m, and from the 1600m was posted outside the leader. There was no sign of weakening resolve as she gallantly held her ground to the finish.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRNZ 22May2013