A daring ride by Lee Callaway on Kahma Suitsya in the Greymouth Cup (2000m) well and truly paid off on Wednesday, with the mare scoring a comfortable victory in the Omoto feature.
The daughter of Tavistock jumped away perfectly and was sent straight to the front by Callaway. She remained unchallenged upfront and got away with a soft lead before Callaway injected some pace in the race with 700m to go and Kahma Suitsya kicked clear of her rivals.
She had opened up several lengths on her opposition when turning for home and was able to maintain that advantage, running out a comfortable 3.75 length victor in front of a bumper West Coast crowd.
“It wasn’t the plan to lead, but he (Callaway) judged it really well because she jumped so well and she was waiting for something to come around on her,” trainer John Blackadder said.
“We talked before it about going from the 700m, just before everyone else does, and that is what he did.
“She is a nice horse. For a one-win horse it was great to win the Greymouth Cup, I am very happy.”
Formerly trained by Shaun Phelan, Kahma Suitsya won one race and contested the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) for the Cambridge horseman before the decision was made to send her south to Blackadder.
The Rangiora trainer has enjoyed having the four-year-old in his care and said she has thrived in the rural environment with beach training.
“I would like to thank Shaun Phelan for sending her down here and giving me the opportunity,” Blackadder said.
“It is just that different country environment and we train on the beach as well. Their mind seems to change quite a bit.”
Kahma Suitsya is now set to enjoy some time in the paddock before being set to try and gain some valuable black-type next month.
“I am going to give her a couple of weeks off and go to something like the Dunedin Cup (Listed, 2400m),” Blackadder said.
“It would be great to get some black-type with her.”
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