 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 2013
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
2013 PGG WRIGHTSON NZ YEARLING SALES SERIES 2YO TROTTERS CHAMPIOSHIP
A habit of 'going back to the well' doesn't usually get the desired result, but it has paid quick dividends for the connections od Dieu De l'Amour, last week's winner of the $85,000 NZYSS 2yo Trotters Championship.
The Love You-Sun Goddess gelding was bought at last year's Premier Sale for $30,000 by stable clients of Victorian trainer Authony Crossland. They had earlier raced the first foal from Sun Goddess in Bohemian, buying him after he'd finished third in the 2yo Sales race behind Paramount Geegee and at the Cambridge Jewels to Kylie Ree. Bohemian, by Continentalman, would go on tho be Australian 3yo Trotter of the Year, winning the NSW Trotters Derby, Holmfield and Victoria Trotters Derby in 2011.
Off the back of that, it wasn't hard to make a bid for his half-brother a year ago, entrusting Dieu De l'Amour to Mark Purdon for an event like the Sales race. In between Bohemian and Dieu De l'Amour, Sun Goddess has also produced DiMaggio, a 4yo which has gone through to open class with seven wins for Stephen Doody.
With Not About The Money out for th season with a quarter crack and Daenerys Targaryen and One Over Da Moon both homebreds, this season's 2yo Sales Trot had shaped as being an open and easier affair and Dieu De l'Amour had been building nicely for it. "The way things panned out, I couldn't have scripted a better run," said Blair Orange. "I wouldn't say this fellow has been a natural 2yo, but he is going to make a very nice 3yo," he added.
The fillies Schleck and Hot Pants had vied for favouritism and after they'd had a tussle for the front in the second quarter, and Schleck had run wide on the showgrounds bend in getting there, she soon had the attentions of Rocky Mountain Son down the back. This early exertion had softened both fillies up. Meanwhile Dieu De l'Amour, had been eased away from a wide draw but was steadily making progress during the run before landing the one-one over the last lap.
Just when Mark Purdon and Hot Pants looked like claiming the Barry Purdon trained Schleck up the passing lane, Orange arrived on the scene to win easily and going away by a length. Hot Pants (Majestic Son-Dutch Annie) was also bought for $30,000 from the Sales and is raced by Trevor Casey and Natalie Rasmussen, while Schleck was also bought at Karaka for $28,000 by a syndicate which includes Casey as well. K D Muscles, like Schleck a filly by Muscle Mass, trotted home nicely from three fence for a sound fourth.
Dieu De l'Amour, the second Sales race winner by Love You following on from You Rock at Addington last year will now head for the Sires Stakes series and then the Jewels.
Credit: HRWeekly 1May13