Gentle Giant Aims for Victory at Ascot Park

[Wandering Eyes]

Ascot Park trainer Jo-Ann Gordon has taken a patient approach with giant gelding Polly’s Guru (NZ) (Gallant Guru), and she is hoping she can be rewarded when he lines-up in the Southland Honda Maiden (1600m) at her local meeting on Friday. 

The five-year-old son of Gallant Guru made his debut at Gore last week where he finished runner-up over 1335m, much to the delight of Gordon, and her only concern heading into Friday is his barrier draw of two. 

“I am really happy with him, he is just really green,” Gordon said. “The only thing that I am concerned about is the inside draw because he is about 18 hands with a very large stride. 

“Hopefully we can get off the fence and just let him get into a rhythm. 

“He is still pretty weak. He will start on Friday, we will see how he gets through that, and perhaps have one more start at Invercargill and then he will have a spell again. 

“He is a long way off, but he is a really nice horse with a really good turn of foot for a big fella.” 

Stablemate Small Town Belle was also runner-up at Gore last week and will be looking to go one better in the Southport Handicap (1400m) on Friday. 

Gordon bought the daughter of Belardo off Gavelhouse.com last year for $1,100 and said it has taken her a little longer than desired to strip into race condition.  

“I bought her last November off Gavelhouse and she was so fat it took me six months to get the weight off her, that is why she was a wee bit disappointing last campaign,” she said.  

“This campaign she has come up and she is fit, which makes a massive difference.  She has worked on well after Gore, so I expect her to go well again.” 

Gordon will also line-up Sutherland in the Heineken Handicap (2200m). 

“Sutherland just hated that sticky track at Gore and when he doesn’t like something he doesn’t go, and that shows in his form, he looks like he runs a bit hot and cold,” Gordon said. 

“2200m is more his go anyway, and I think he will go 100 times better than he did at Gore. We are due for a bit of rain on Thursday night, so the track shouldn’t be sticky, it will be looser, which will be his cup of tea. 

Signwriter finished seventh on debut at Gore last week and Gordon is hoping the addition of blinkers will aid the gelding’s chances this week in the McCallums Group Maiden (1200m), 

“Because of the lack of trials here, Signwriter hadn’t been anywhere for two years. I thought his start at Gore wasn’t the worst for a very green horse that would have usually had a couple of trials,” she said. 

“He will definitely be an improved run than what he was at Gore, the blinkers will improve him straight away. 

“I worked him in blinkers and he worked really nice with them, he really got up on the bit. He seems to have woken up. 

“I initially had him in the 1400m, but I have cut him back to 1200m. 

Gordon’s contingent on Friday will be rounded out by Holy Snitz in the ILT Foundation Maiden (1400m), and she is hoping for more luck than her first-up run at Gore. 

“The start at Gore with Holy Snitz you definitely have to disregard, she was a victim of circumstance, and because it was her first start, I think she panicked when they came over on her, which made the situation even worse,” Gordon said. 

“Krishna (Mudhoo, jockey) was confident that she was going to run in the first three in Gore before she got cleaned up.  

“We would just like a clean run with her and she should go okay.”

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