It might not have been the race she wanted to target with Lingjun Xiongfeng this week, but Pam Gerard was pleased to see her showy grey return to winning form at Tauranga on Friday.
The Matamata trainer had set her sights on tomorrow’s Gr.1 Harcourt Thordon Mile (1600m) at Trentham with the six-year-old gelding, but his 78 rating had made if difficult for her to execute that plan.
“We have been a bit unlucky trying to get into fields. With his rating, he hasn’t been able to get in Open fields,” Gerard said.
“We wanted to have him ready for the Thorndon Mile but just couldn’t get a start into him. I do think he has got a good one (race) in him.”
The Factor entire hadn’t been sighted in the winner’s stall since December 2013, where he scored back-to-back victories, but he battled in open grade last year, featuring at the tail end of his last two Group outings.
He returned to the races last month where he placed in the Poverty Bay Turf Club Cup (1400m) at Taupo and after reviewing the race, Gerard decided the entire is best ridden cold.
She gave those instructions to jockey George Rooke prior to the Simply Law Greerton 1600 on Friday, and the English jockey duly obliged, settling at the back of the field before setting his charge alight down the straight where he ran over the top of his rivals to score by a head over Outback Opal.
“Last time at Taupo we rode him a bit handier,” Gerard said. “We were keen to put him into the race, but when I got home and looked at it I thought that’s not the right way to ride him. We were really patient today and in a small field you get your options and even though they aren’t coming from the back today, he has flown home late.”
Rooke was pleased with the win and believes there is a big win instore for Lingjun Xiongfeng over the coming months.
“I half thought I left it too late and when I got to the front, I thought I got there too soon,” Rooke said. “He has got plenty of ability, he is quite quirky with it, and he has won well today.
“He is going to have a big summer and thankfully he has got it off today.”
Gerard is hoping the win is the start of a prosperous weekend for stable, with stable star Savaglee out to continue his impressive run of form in the Gr.2 Top Kat Roofing Levin Classic (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.
“Looking at him he looks big and burly and you think he is a little bit chubby, but I think he has just muscled up and got stronger,” Gerard said.
“It is exciting, but it is probably more nerve-racking now as we have got to turn around and do it all again.
“But I couldn’t be happier with him.”
