Echappe makes all the right moves at Rangiora

[Wandering Eyes]

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk

Canterbury trainer James McDonald’s confidence in his horse was well placed when Echappe won at Rangiora yesterday.

The Always B Miki four-year-old raced parked for much of the Keith Woolley Fencing Mobile Pace only to run down the pace-making Newbiemains Arden, winning by just over a length.

“She is usually better coming off a horse’s back with one run at them but we thought we would take luck out of play,” says the Ladbroooks-based MacDonald.

Driven by Gerard O’Reilly, it was the mare’s first win in five race day starts though she has been hinting that a win was not far away.

Last Sunday at Motukarara she was second, just half a head behind Bad Habits and on December 15 she loomed  up like a winner at Rangiora before breaking at a crucial stage.

“She has a lot of ability but the thing about her is that she tries really hard,” says McDonald.

The mare was named Echappe by two of McDonald’s daughters.

“They are right into their dancing and they named her,” says McDonald, “they might to get to name a few more now!”

Echappe (pronounced “ay-sha-PAY”) is a move in ballet where both feet go from a closed to an open position.

She is the first foal out of unraced Bettor’s Delight mare Hamsa.

“She had some ability too but had a sore fetlock,” says McDonald. 

Echappe was bred and is raced by James’ wife Imogen and high profile breeders Paul and Pauline Renwick.

He has a long association with the Renwicks and is the stable foreman at their grandson Darren Keast’s stables at Weedons.

“I train and break in a lot of horses for the Renwicks,” says McDonald, “and help Ash (Ashleigh Keast) with the yearling prep. 

Echappe’s full sister Real Velocity (Always B Miki- Hamsa) has had two race day starts but is yet to place while her third foal is a Captain Crunch colt called Ake Ake.

 

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