By Jonny Turner
Allamericanlover left her rivals with no excuses when running to a powerful victory in the Timaru Summer Cup on Saturday.
The Steve and Amanda Telfer trained mare gave her opposition a head-start from her 30m back mark before working around the field three-wide and then toughing out an epic victory in the 2600m feature.
The grit and determination Allamericanlover showed in her win are the reason she wasn’t seen over the New Zealand Cup Carnival.
The mare ran a strong and unlucky fourth in the Kaikoura Cup the week prior but felt the effects of her effort afterwards.
“One of the owners text me after the race and said she’s as tough as old leather,” Steve Telfer said.
“I thought she would be a bit vulnerable because she jarred up after Kaikoura and had an easy week.”
“She is a mare that puts so much into her races that she does tend to feel them a little bit.”
“Whatever she did on Saturday, she was going to improve on.”
“But she was great.”
The Telfer team had a decision to make over which direction they would head with Allamericanlover over the next month.
To the north, three mares races including the Group One Queen Of Hearts awaited.
To the south, the inaugural running of the Invercargill Cup at Group One level also looked tempting.
On Sunday it was decided that Allamericanlover would head to Stonewall Stud’s northern base.
“I wasn’t going to bring her north but I think her form is too good not to go,” Telfer said.
“So, I have booked her on a truck and she is going to come up for the three mares races that are coming up.”
B D Joe will head south to represent the Telfer team in the Invercargill Cup while Darling Me will join Allamericanlover in contesting the upcoming mares features at Alexandra Park.
Alta Wiseguy will also head north, rather than going to the Invercargill Cup.
