Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir) was among the best of New Zealand’s staying fillies as a three-year-old and she is coming right back into that form this campaign, winning the Pyramid Trucking (2200m) at Te Aroha on Saturday.
The Stephen Autridge-trained mare placed in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m) last term and had a quieter spring, but a step back up to 2000m in early March was all she needed to return to the winner’s circle.
She followed up that performance with a tidy fourth behind Gigi at Tauranga, and a fortnight later, faced a similar field of Rating 75 stayers at Te Aroha, starting third-favourite behind King Of The North and Giacomo.
Under the 60.5kg topweight, Giacomo attempted to slow the pace in front in the mid-stages with Livid Sky in the one-one, but the mare began to over-race, forcing jockey Warren Kennedy to go forward and take over the lead at the 1300m. She immediately settled and kicked well at the top of the straight, but so did Giacomo, the pair fighting it out all the way home with the mare narrowly coming out on top in a photo finish.
In a competitive finish, King Of The North was only a short neck back in third, with You Know a further three-quarters of a length in fourth.
Matamata-based Autridge has always held the daughter of Proisir in high regard and was delighted with the result.
“We were absolutely rapt with the win because she’s been so genuine,” he said.
“We’ve got to thank Warren Kennedy for such a great ride, it was a ride than ensured we did win. We knew the topweight usually leads and when you’ve got 60 and a half kilos, you don’t want to lead at a fast pace. Those small fields are inclined to pull up in your face, so we were always going to go forward, but we didn’t expect to end up in front.
“They were going that slow that she was over-racing in behind, so when Warren snuck around to the front, that forced the topweight to race outside us and gave us the advantage.”
Autridge is considering a return to black-type company at short notice for Livid Sky, with a trip to Wanganui for next Saturday’s Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2040m) a possibility.
“She’s a bit stronger, but it’s taken her to the last three or four starts to get that good form back again,” he said. “It does happen quite a lot with the handy three-year-old fillies when they become four-year-olds.
“She’s pretty tough and tenacious these days, so let’s hope we can get a good race under her belt for the owners.
“We’re half considering the fillies and mares race next Saturday at Wanganui, but if we don’t, we’ll run in a couple of weeks’ time at Te Rapa. Hopefully if she runs well there, we can go back for the Izuzu (Gr.2 Travis Stakes, 2000m).”
Bred and raced by Karl Mihaljevich, Livid Sky is out of a four-win Istidaad mare Lady Lucille, who finished fourth in a Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). Lady Lucille has also produced Lauding, a son of Proisir who finished fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) before recording two wins in Australia.
In 19 starts, Livid Sky has recorded three wins, four minor placings and over $143,000 in stakes earnings for Mihaljevich.