Breakthrough success for big money filly

[Wandering Eyes]

A big money purchase at the yearling sales, Moet Shard has earned herself a Christmas break after winning her first race at Motukarara on Saturday.

The Bettor’s Delight three-year-old benefited from a copybook Jim Curtin drive to take out the Rob Harneiss Thelma Memorial Fillies and Mares Mobile Pace.

“Jimmy’s been great with the horse,” says trainer Jeff Whittaker, “she’s learning a lot about what it is to be a race horse … specially in the last four to six weeks.”

With favourite Jezebel breaking early Moet Shard went to the lead then trailed before taking advantage of the passing lane to win by more than two lengths.

It was her maiden success in nine starts, though she’d hinted that a breakthrough win wasn’t far away with three placings in her four previous starts. At Addington on November 21 she was second to Special Dream, providing Whittaker with the quinella.

Since he acquired the filly, that Canterbury farmer Graham McClintock bought for $280,000 horse at the 2020 NZB national yearling sales, Whittaker has always maintained she’d improve with time. And so she has.

“Graham has never put any pressure on me … and it’s so great for Graham and his grand-daughters (co-owners) to get that first win.”

Moet Shard now gets a chance to freshen up.

“She’ll get a month or so off, there’s lot of fresh grass around and then we will get her back in February-March.”

“She’s still growing a bit and hopefully she’ll just keep getting better.”

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