New Zealand raiders recouped plenty of travelling costs at the Sunshine Coast meeting on the polytrack on Wednesday, with trainers Robbie Patterson and Kelvin Tyler both sending out winners.
Talented El Roca three-year-old Nom de Plume (NZ) scored over 2150m for Robbie Patterson to win in the manner of a smart stayer.
While not nominated for the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 4, connections will now likely pay the late entry after the well-supported filly raced away from her rivals on Wednesday.
“She will be a late nomination for the Oaks and hopefully we get in,” Patterson said.
“Jimmy Byrne (jockey) was taken aback by her. At her first start over here we had had a heap of problems with her tying up, but she was 100 percent today.
“Jimmy had previously thought she was a bit one-paced but today he said you don’t get many horses that can just drop the bit and finish the race off like that, so coming from a guy of his stature that was very pleasing to hear.
“She has settled in well now and she is a good staying horse of the future.”
Earlier on the card Contributer three-year-old Master Marko (NZ) broke maiden ranks over 1600m for Kelvin Tyler.
“I had a beer with Kelvin to celebrate his win and we had another straight after mine won,” Patterson said. “It was great to see Kelvin get a winner and he has travelled a lot further than me and that was the equivalent of a NZ$40,000 maiden race.”
