Stakes assignments on Podravina’s radar after stylish win

[Chief Stipe]

An impressive win in the $50,000 Go Racing Syndications 1500 at Ellerslie this afternoon is likely to put promising mare Podravina on a black-type path in the autumn.

The well-bred daughter of Bel Esprit had won four of her 14 starts before today, building up to a strong-finishing placing in the Listed Wairarapa Breeders’ Stakes over 1600 metres last start at Tauherenikau.

She stepped back down to 1500 today with blinkers on for the first time, and rider Johnathan Parkes had her handily positioned in fourth place in the Rating 82 event.

Front-runner The Mitigator still had plenty to offer in the straight and kicked away, but Podravina accelerated out of the pack and ran him down to win by three-quarters of a length.

“It was a very good performance and what we were hoping to see with the blinkers on today,” co-trainer Andrew Forsman told www.theinformant.co.nz. “Johnathan gave her a nice trip and she finished it off strongly.

“Now that she’s got this run and this win under her belt, we could start to think about some stakes races coming up – especially when we get her up over a middle-distance.”

For Wanganui visitor Parkes, this was a 10^th win from 106 rides at Ellerslie. He went winless in his first 30 rides at the Auckland track, but that is now a distant memory for the Gr. 1 Auckland Cup and Railway Stakes-winning rider.

“It’s great coming up here to ride on these days – brilliant atmosphere, the weather’s turned it on today and it’s great racing,” he said. “The track’s a really nice Good3 with a good cushion of grass on it.

“I was really happy to get the result on this mare today. She’s very progressive, and I think distances around 2000 metres will really be her go.”

Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Podravina is out of his Gr. 3 Lowland Stakes-winning mare Posavina.

Podravina has now had 15 starts for five wins, five placings and more than $93,000 in prize-money.

The Mitigator held on strongly for his second placing, three-quarters of a length ahead of King’s Cross, who stormed home from last at the home turn.

The $3.60 favourite was Paisley Park, who was very slow to leave the gate and was bumped at the top of the straight. He made up ground in the last 200 metres to run fifth, 2.9 lengths from the winner.

“He’s hit the line well,” rider Sam Collett said. “From a moderate speed early, he wanted to do a few things wrong. Any cut in the track will be right up his alley.”

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