12 months ago Travimyfriend (NZ) (Tavistock) broke through for his first Australian win and the seven-year-old gelding repeated the dose in the equivalent race this year when taking out the Neds Same Race Multi Handicap (1400m).
Prepared by Rachael Frost, who these days is based at Mornington, Travimyfriend was Group One placed in his homeland before crossing the Tasman and has added in excess of A$200,000 to his bank balance despite only finding the winners’ circle on two occasions since making the move.
Frost was pleased to see her charge land a deserved victory.
“It’s not through the lack of trying,” she said.
“It probably takes three runs to get him fit. Flemington was a bit of a disaster and then last start he went good here. We probably rode him wrong. It’s good.
“I’ve had him for his whole life since he was a yearling. He’s Group One placed in New Zealand and stakes placed here, too. Hopefully now that he’s got form he’ll hold it. He’s pretty good at that. He just keeps going.
“He might get ten days off every now and again. He’d rather be in work than in the paddock”
Frost has a boutique stable of seven horses having made the move from New Zealand’s lower North Island in late 2018.
“I like to do most it (the work) myself,” she said. “That’s enough for me at the moment.”
Travimyfriend settled fifth in the run and relished the rain-affected track under jockey Dean Yendall.
“It worked out perfect from that barrier (2),” Yendall said.
“A soft track is always ideal for him. He needs everything to go his way which it did today.
“He travelled good, I got to the outside when I needed to and he was good through the line. It was good for him to get a win for Rachael. He’s a trier.”
Travimyfriend has now won A$357,164 in prizemoney