It was a red-letter day for Lucy de Lautour at Trentham on Saturday, with the Hawke’s Bay trainer scoring a winning double at the feature jumps meeting courtesy of Metallo (Zoffany) and Ian’s Legacy (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle).
Metallo was having just his second hurdle start when he took out the Welcome Wellington Bowlers Maiden Hurdle (2500m), while Ian’s Legacy also cleared maiden hurdle ranks when victorious in the Cody Singer Memorial Maiden Hurdle (2500m).
The results were a tonic for de Lautour and her family, with the passing of her mother-in-law earlier in the week.
“She was awesome and we were all pretty close to her,” she said.
Still coming to grips with their loss, de Lautour headed south to Trentham on Saturday with a positive outlook and was rapt to get the double.
“It was quite extraordinary. When you only have three horses in work any win is extraordinary, but to get two in one day is pretty unbelievable,” she said.
“Ian’s Legacy was a maiden hurdler with a few placings, so you are hopeful but never sure because there seems to always be a new hurdler that turns up that has had a good record on the flat and you just hope it will be your day soon.
“That was only Metallo’s second hurdle start. We had a lot of help from the Myers’ who have given him some schooling for me. We are very grateful for their input.
“We were rapt, it was a fantastic day.”
De Lautour was also represented in the Wellington Steeplechase (5500m) by Donardo (NZ) (Don Eduardo), who ran fourth behind exciting chaser West Coast (NZ) (Mettre En Jeu) and Champion jumper The Cossack (NZ) (Mastercraftsman).
“He didn’t have a great time in the Hawke’s Bay Chase two weeks ago, but we were really pleased with how he went (on Saturday),” she said.
“He won his maiden at Trentham on the same day last year and then he went on and did well for the rest of the season.
“It was a very good field, so we were really pleased with how he went.”
De Lautour also tasted success as an owner, with the Paul Nelson and Corrina McDougal-trained Suliman (NZ) (Redwood) taking out the Wellington Hurdle (3400m) for the I See Red Syndicate.
She and her husband, Will, have been part of the 60-strong syndicate for a number of years and they were delighted to get the result in the prestige jumping feature.
“The I See Red syndicate has been going for a very long time. I think there are 30 shares and each share is generally owned by two people, and my husband and I have one share,” de Lautour said.
“We have had some amazing horses and Paul and Corrina do an extraordinary job.
“A horse that was in the syndicate, Barado, came to us when he retired. He is 20 now and he has been the most amazing hunter. We do a lot of hunting in the winter.
“The people in the syndicate get such a buzz out of going to the races, particularly when they win.
“It is fantastic for jumps racing to be involved in a syndicate like that and get so many people involved. We all love it.”
De Lautour said the results were made even more special given they came at Trentham on a prestige jumps day.
“I love going to Trentham,” she said. “It is a fantastic course and I wish they had more jumps meetings there, particularly with the figure of eight steeplechase course, it is amazing.
“The large fences make for a lot better jumping rather than the man-made ones, which are great, but to me it feels like real steeplechasing when they go over those big fences.”
De Lautour has tasted plenty of success at the Upper Hutt track, highlighted by Kipkeino, who placed in both the Wellington Hurdle and Steeplechase.
The Sunray gelding was de Lautour’s first foray into training thoroughbreds and he is now a member of their hunt team.
“We lived in Nuhaka, north of Wairoa, for years and we moved to Waipukurau 12 years ago. Just before we moved, we went to a mixed bloodstock sale that they had during the national week in Christchurch,” de Lautour said.
“The Nelsons, Paul and Carol, helped us pick out a two-year-old colt and that was Kipkeino.
“When we moved down here (Waipukurau) he was four and he started racing as a four-year-old. He was successful on the flat and then over the jumps as well, and now he is a hunter, so that is pretty cool.”
De Lautour is now weighing up her options with her team, but said it was unlikely they would head to Riccarton next month for the National meeting.
“It is difficult because from now there is no jumps racing, apart from Riccarton, for weeks, so it is really hard to know what to do and where to go,” she said.
“It is a long haul down there (Christchurch). It is a possibility, but we will probably stay home and head north at the end of the season.”