By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk
In 2023 Lesa Clarke made her first ever purchases at the National Yearling Sales in Christchurch.
Today at 5.57pm at Addington she’ll find how good a judge she is when Vin’s Deal makes her race day debut in the Still Time To Breed With Woodlands 2YO Fillies Mobile Pace.
“Sometimes there’s a horse that just takes your eye, as soon as she walked out of her box I knew,” says Clarke.
Clarke has owned around 20 horses over the years -“I have five at the moment” and many of them have been trained by Matt Purvis.
Among the better performers she’s been associated with are Slip The Hundy, who won three in this country before heading overseas and has won 24 from 63, Rocknroll Mama (4 NZ wins) and Gossip Girl (2 NZ wins).
“A couple of years ago I said to Matt I’ve like to go the sales and buy some nice ones,” says Clarke.
And in Christchurch in February last year they did just that and walked away with Vin’s Deal for $11,000 and a Father Patrick yearling Jack’s Point for $17,000.
“It was the first time I’d been to the sales and bought anything.”
Of the pair Vin’s Deal is be the first to hit the race track.
“She looked a beautiful horse on type and Matt liked the breeding as well.”
“Matt broke her in and he has looked after her since day dot.”
Clarke has since been joined in the ownership group by Purvis and Ron Stephenson.
Vin’s Deal will head to the races after a very encouraging trial win at Rangiora last month. She cleared out to win by five lengths, completing her last 800 in 57.4 after earlier having some “cross-firing and gaiting issues”
“But she’s over that now ,” says Clarke, “and hopefully we’ve got a nice horse who will be a very handy three-year-old.”
On the back of her trial performance she will start a $2.50 favourite today, with John Dunn doing the driving.
“We’ll be a bit nervous and I’ll be walking up and down a bit but most of all it’s just exciting.”