LITTLE HOPES FOR PERFECT START FROM NEW BASE

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Trainer Kylie Little with Trisha Lea.

Just days after relocating to Cambridge from her former Opaki base, Kylie Little will aim to kick off her northern training career on a high at Rotorua on Saturday.

Little will saddle last-start Parliamentary Handicap (2200m) winner Trisha Lea in the RSA Taumarunui Gold Cup (2200m), while impressive debut winner Easy Habit will line up in a supporting race.

“Trisha Lea’s been doing really well since Trentham, she just about pulled my arms out galloping around Cambridge this morning,” Little said. “She’ll run in the Taumarunui Gold Cup on Saturday with Sam Collett aboard.

“Easy Habit’s come through his debut win really nicely as well, and we’ve just been sitting back and waiting for a suitable second race for him.”

Little has been willing to travel long distances to find suitable races for her horses, including winning an open handicap at Ruakaka last month with Lucyinrio.

“In the end, I decided that there were just more opportunities in the north and it would make sense to base myself up here in Cambridge,” she said. “We’ve just done the move and we’re still unpacking everything and getting things organised as we speak.

“I’ve brought my whole team, which is currently only five horses. But they’re a very nice five, including Trisha Lea, Lucyinrio and Easy Habit. If you’ve only got a small team, it’s good to have a bit of quality there.”

Trisha Lea has won seven races and more than $147,000 in stakes for her group of seven owners, including Little, while Lucyinrio is a five-race winner and has been stakes-placed in the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m) and Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m).

Little is keen to grow her numbers in her new Cambridge stable.

“I’d love to build up a bigger stable up here,” she said. “At one stage I had around 12 down in the Wairarapa, and it would be great to get up around there again in the north. We’ll see how things go.”

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