Underrated galloper Lady Telena (Vespa) continued a good run of recent form with a comfortable victory in the Martin Collins New Zealand Cup Trial (1800m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
In the process the six-year-old mare, who has now won three of her last five starts, surprised trainer Kenny Moore with the apparent ease of her three-length victory as rider Akshay Balloo merely shook the reins at her as she swept past pacemaker Seriously (NZ) (O’Reilly) in the home straight.
“I expected a good run and was hopeful, but I didn’t expect her to win like that,” Moore said.
“She is a good mare with a powerful finish and that was just awesome.”
Whilst the win was in a race designed to test potential candidates for the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) on 18 November, Moore revealed the daughter of Vespa will be set for a different challenge during the three-day Riccarton Spring Carnival.
“The whole aim has been to get her ready for the Group Three race on the middle day at Riccarton (Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes, 1400m),” he said.
“She will probably have one more run now and go out for a break then come back fresh for that one.”
Balloo was taken with how the mare had stepped up to better company with aplomb after winning over 1600m in rating 75 company at Riccarton on the synthetic surface and again at her last start at Oamaru.
“She seems to be improving after each run and stepped up in a stronger field today,” he said.
“I was a little worried but she has won three on a good track like it is today and that suited.
“Seriously had scooted away on us but she found her gears and the further she went, the better she got.”
Bred by Kevin Hickman, Lady Telena is out of the Street Cry mare Langara and has now won five of her 40 starts for Moore and her connections, after commencing her career in the North Island for the Stephen Autridge stable.
She comes from an extended family of top European performers including former champion Italian two-year-old and champion United Arab Emirates four-year-old miler Lend A Hand (Great Commotion).
