Well, Emily finished off the year 2024 in splendid fashion, notching up festive sixth win ...
The beginning of the new year was not quite so glamorous. She took on the big boys and girls at Invercargill, off a 15 metre handicap, and went down to the usual horde of Willies, after getting impossibly far back. She has indeed a fine finishing burst when called upon, but she cannot come from the rear, against horses of the calibre of the Williamson stars.
We sent her back to Invercargill the next week. And guess what. She was running last after a furlong. Why? She finished 5th of 6, 13 lengths from the winner. We were not happy.
Now, I know certain horses and trainers 'play the game'. And very successfully, too. Under the ridiculous 'rating' system operated by HRNZ, horses are made to race others 'deemed to be' of the same 'rating'. Thus, if you have a horse which needs to be lightly raced, and which wins a race, it will take you half a year of unplaced runs before you get back to the 'rating' you won at. And if a one-time Oaks or Derby winner runs around at the back of the field, enough times, for fun, it is soon allowed to race against mostly merely maidens. Kind of stupid. But it's just about what is happening ...
Anyhow. EMILY is tutoying the 50 rating. Seems odd for a mare with 6 wins and 14 places in three seasons racing, and who has shown her ability to cut her jib with the best mares in Southland. And even most among those from the stables of the Willies from Womaru. But 'rules', even silly ones, are 'rules' ...
We console ourselves with the thought that if she gets another np, she'll go down a class. Most intermediate races have a 50 top. That is, presuming HRNZ doesn't change its rules again, or schedule races with an entrance rating of 35-100. In other words, any horse at all. A free-for-all ... Not to mention 1900, 2000 sprints etc metres! Thank goodness, in Southland we need handicaps, so we are, largely, not subjected to the dreaded mobile start.
Rant over. Just to say, EMILY is not among those 'trying' to lose. We play the game (yes, it's a 'game!) straight, to see our horses perform grandly, run on the podium, and when possible, win ...
So, Emily is now '50'. And there's a race at glamorous Gore, with a 50 top! Only ... its a sprint 1800 metres. And there are other borderline horses ... the splendid NUBLIAH CHARMAY and GRANNY ROSE, owned by our best friends, Robin and Geraldine ... Well, GRANNY went out favourite, we were second favourite .. and oyoy! there was a stumer! IMPERIAL MAN, by the same rare sire as Emily... remarkably well backed .. Well, he stumed all right. And in a 3-horse finish Emily was a strong-finishing 3rd. Granny was second. R&G owe me a chocolate fish.
After that run, I was really certain that she would do something next up. 50 top again. So we'll be clever and play the HRNZ game and put a good junior driver up. We did. And I almost had a punt. I was so sure. But ..
I was devastated at the time. She finished a fair sixth. Looking back, it wasn't awful. A fair sixth. But I'd been expecting .. hoping ... well, next time! Next time? I won't even write of it. I will never understand what Mark was up to. 'Go to the front' I messaged him. What did he do? Took the girl from a grand start position, back to ... last. Folk could be forgiven for thinking we were playing the 'game'. In a large field, there was no way through for her. She finished at the tail of the field.
I have never felt so near to giving up racing for the third time. But when I sobered up ...
A week later she lined up again. There were two hot pots this time ... a Willie, of course: Brad's KRACKA LOOKA which had won the race at Wyndham when Emily was 6th, and the occasionally unreliable AH DINNAE KEN .. but heavens, Emily was 3rd favourite! Why? She'd been 10-8 in the betting when she'd run 11th! We know she likes Winton, but ...
Someone must have told her. Mother-Trainer Kirsten took the reins this time and, yes ... after Em's usual reliable start, went FORWARD! Kracka Looka and Ah Dinnae Ken chose to go backwards. But where there's a Willie there's a way! Matty's PYRAMID ROSE, which had been way back in earlier races, stormed past Emily early on to take the lead ... and she stayed there. Emily had a good stab at her in the strait, but ran out of pouff in the last yards and got passed by old pal BILL BOOTIT. Third. And the hotpots were 3 or 4 lengths back. Hope and enthusiasm reborn ... THAT's our gutsy wee girl!
So, last race of March. Wyndham. 14 horses. And, yes, a stumer. We have raced against PAIGE many a time, in Canterbury. I think the score would be in our favour. But here she is, hot-tipped by Carter Dalgety and hot favourite. Above no less than four variegated Willies, including Kracka Looka. EMILY is 6th favourite, paying $12 to win.
Well, everybody went away well this time, especially our other old pal, ABADABADO, who is a touch nippier than Em. Then Matty's FLORENCE THE MACHINE (fifth favourite) zoomed round to take the lead from him, and Emily got pushed back to four deep on the rails. Kracka Looka and Paige to her outside. Groan.
But, in horse-racing all is never lost. Kracka Looka moved, Paige didn't and Kirstin whisked Emily on to the back of the Kracka, and off the rails. Yeeees, went the squeals in Gerolstein's drawing room! Round the turn, Florence and Bill Boottit were about the falter, and Paige was steaming around the outside ..
Down the strait and Emily switched to the very outside ...
Paige had got away. Abadabado ran on stoutly for second and -- yes! Emily outsprinted the rest of the field and took another super 3rd!
So: first term - seven starts for three thirds, and ending on a promising note. Can't complain, eh, girl!
And the new term starts straight away...
It is to be at Invercargill. Not her luckiest track. But 2200 metres, which ought to suit ... and only seven starters. Wyndham had sixteen! Odd. And only one Willie .. BUT the second, third and fourth from the Wyndham race, plus Ah Dinna Ken, which I guess will be favourite .. but, who knows ... I don't think there's a stumer in there ...
Go, little girl <3 Second term is ON!
