Kylie Gavenlock is planning a step up to metropolitan class for her consistent mare Wild About Her who resumes at Wyong’s NBN Television Raceday on Thursday.
The Big Brown four-year-old, bred and raced by John Singleton, put together three successive wins last preparation and Gavenlock is confident she can make the next step.
“She was pretty good last prep, and she’s gone well fresh before,” Gavenlock said. “Hopefully this weather continues and dries out the track a little bit but in saying that she trialled nicely on the soft the other day and I’m pretty happy with how she’s going.”
Wild About Her, who has had 15 starts for four wins and seven placings, starts from barrier four in the 1350m Benchmark 70.
“Grant Buckley’s been riding her and is happy to stick with her. All indications are she will go well.”
Gavenlock admits she has a soft spot for the mare.
“I’ve done pre-training for John for years and years and had a couple of horses for him that didn’t take to the city as well.
“I had a lot to do with Wild About Her as a young horse and saw something in her that I really liked.
“I thought she’d get over a bit of ground, so I harped at John for a bit and it worked.
“We will probably look at a metropolitan race next.”
Gavenlock has two other runners on the eight-race program and considers both chances.
Magic Albert filly Lightning Ally is looking for back to back wins when she starts in the 1300m Class 1, while stablemate Furlana is a dual acceptor in the 1350m Maiden and 1350m Provincial and Country Maiden.
“Lightning Ally does look promising,” she said. “This is her first preparation, she’s had a lot of issues early on, but they seem to be all good at the moment.
“She raced nicely in her first start in the provincials, then she went to the country where she was ridden a bit upside down. She was ridden really well the next start and won at Port so hopefully she can take the next step. I’ll probably tip her out for a bit of a break after this.”
Gavenlock has retained the services of Chad Lever, her winning rider at Port Macquarie.
She said she is still contemplating which of the 1350m maiden races to start Furlana in.
The Pierro mare, a $150,000 yearling purchase, has been runner up at her past two starts at Hawkesbury and Newcastle.
“She’s been just out of the money the last couple of times when she hasn’t drawn well. That’s one of the reasons why I put her in two races, because I think drawing a bad alley has been against her in her last two starts.
“She has drawn badly in the Provincial and Country Maiden which I thought was the weaker of the two races and better in the other, so I’ve got some thinking to do.
“Her provincial form is pretty good, and the distance will suit her fine.”
The first of eight races gets underway at 12.50pm.
SELECTIONS:
Race 1 – 12.50pm: BAYVIEW HOTEL MAIDEN PLATE (1350m): 1 FURLANA, 2 Provocative Man, 3 Tapiconic, 4 Akileos.
Race 2 – 1.25pm: FREDDY’S FISHING MAIDEN PLATE (2100m): 1 ALAM MO NA, 2 Avalene, 3 Heaven’s Dream, 4 Final Honour.
Race 3 – 2.05pm: GOSFORD RENT A TRUCK PROV & CTRY MAIDEN HANDICAP (1350m): 1 WELL DECORATED, 2 Palais De Louvre, 3 Reiby’s Regent, 4 Our Eppy.
Race 4 – 2.40pm: HALEKULANI BOWLING CLUB MAIDEN HANDICAP (1000m): 1PRETORIUS, 2 Rock Amore, 3 Chelsea Reign, 4 Rebecca’s Quest.
Race 5 – 3.15pm: HARVEY NORMAN CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1600m): 1 LOVESEAT, 2 Elaborate, 3 Plagiarist, 4 Vive Marie.
Race 6 – 3.50pm: JIM’S MOWING CENTRAL COAST & NEWCASTLE CLASS 1 HANDICAP (1300m): 1 LUCKY MISSION, 2 Bondi Boy, 3 Lightning Ally, 4 Kosciusko.
Race 7 – 4.25pm: JOB CENTRE AUSTRALIA CONDITIONAL BENCHMARK 70 (1350m): 1 BE MINDFUL, 2 Blinkin Artie, 3 Wild About Her, Your Witness.
Race 8 – 5.50pm: NBN NEWS CLASS 2 HANDICAP (1100m): 1 TRUMBULL, 2 Valeria, 3 Don’t Doubt Arthur, 4 Thiswilldous.
