A patient approach has been the key to the emergence of Ears Back who will bid to extend her winning sequence at Wingatui where a major pay day awaits the rising southern star.
The four-year-old daughter of Jakkalberry is unbeaten in her last three appearances and again promises to be hard to roll in Saturday’s $100,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m).
Ears Back is trained by John Blackadder, who also has the in-form Eptimum in the Positive Signs + Print Handicap (1200m) with the Rangiora trainer sharing in the ownership of the duo.
They will be ridden by Jasmine Fawcett, who has partnered each horse to winning hat-tricks in their lead-ups to their Wingatui engagements.
“Ears Back has been terrific and she couldn’t have done much more and I couldn’t be happier with her,” Blackadder said.
“She took a long time to get to the races and we finally got here and it’s proved worthwhile. She just needed time to mature.”
Ears Back made her debut last spring and broke her maiden four runs later at Ashburton in December and two subsequent victories in heats of the Southern Mile Series have her among the favoured contenders on Saturday.
“It’s quite exciting and a good mile field with exceptional money,” Blackadder said.
Safely through the weekend, Ears Back is likely to have a crack at black type in the Gr.3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on March 25.
“She’ll probably have one more start after Saturday and then go our for a break, we’re looking at the Valachi Downs for her,” Blackadder said.
Blackadder also trained Ears Back’s half-sister Smoke House Bay to win three races for Taranaki breeders Paul and Robyn O’Leary.
“Smoke House Bay came to me from Te Akau and the change of environment suited her so they sent Ears Back down here as a two-year-old and kept 25 percent,” he said.
Ears Back is from the immediate family of the Gr.3 Hobart Cup (2400m) winner Pretty Punk and the pedigree also features the Gr.1 English Derby (2400m) winner Pour Moi, who sired the Gr.1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) winner Sacred Elixir during his time at Windsor Park Stud.
“She is bred to go further and she shouldn’t have any problem getting a mile and a-half (2400m) or 3200m at some stage,” Blackadder said.
Relocating to Rangiora has also agreed with Eptimum, who claimed the Gr.3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley as a three-year-old before an unsuccessful stint in Hong Kong.
Now an eight-year-old, the son of Snitzel has posted six successes from Blackadder’s stable and is also chasing four wins on the bounce on Saturday.
“He hasn’t done anything wrong and has just needed some luck and good tracks, he’s going super,” he said.
“He didn’t like the Hong Kong environment and gets paddock trained and he’s a happy horse, that’s the difference.”
Eptimum made his way to Blackadder’s stable from Dave Duley’s Lansdowne Park operation at Ohaupo.
“Dave got me a horse called I Am A Rock (six wins) and he rung me and said I’ve got another one, who’s been sitting in the paddock for 18 months,” Blackadder said.
“I asked a good friend of mine, Henry Gillies, to see if he could pre-train him and see if he still wants to be a racehorse.
“He then sent him to me and Henry has 50 per cent and it couldn’t have gone any better.”
Another bold showing on Saturday will earn Eptimum a return trip to Trentham for the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m), in which he finished sixth last season.
“If he goes well, we’ll probably go up for the Lightning on March 18, he seems a much better horse this year,” Blackadder said.
