Rick Wells added plenty of local flavour to Ruakaka’s meeting on Saturday, with the Northland trainer scoring success in the Mathias Currie Insurance (1200m) with Patricia.
The four-year-old mare was pushed forward from her outside gate by jockey Ashvin Goindasamy to take an early lead. The pair controlled the race throughout, and while they looked headed at the turn, the daughter of Super Easy rallied and held out the late challenge of Magneto to win by a neck.
“She had to do a little bit of work to get to the front, Ashvin did what I asked of him and gave her a rest and I told him at the 600m to just go. It was a good, tough run,” Wells said.
It was Patricia’s second consecutive win at the Northland track, having won her maiden over the same distance last month.
Wells is now eyeing a return to Ruakaka on July 1 with Patricia before targeting the ITM/GIB Northern Winter Championships Final a fortnight later.
“She will come back on the first for the next race meeting up here and then she will go to the $60,000 race,” he said.
“It’s (Winter Championships) great for us up here. It is five minutes down to the track and we are racing for that sort of money.”
Wells bred Patricia and he said he gets great satisfaction from gaining success after years of effort.
“If you breed them yourself, it (winning) is the greatest thing you can do,” Wells said.
“It is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.”
While Wells is looking forward to Patricia’s home targets, he believes there could be bigger things in-store for the four-year-old.
“All of the jockeys say that she hasn’t got it right yet,” Wells said.
“You could see today in the last 100m that she was running around a little bit. When she does get it right, she could be something special. It is quite exciting.”
Patricia brought up Wells’ 25th training win and the 70-year-old horseman is hoping she can improve that mark in the near future.
“I have been training for 30 years,” he said.
“I played polo, I hunted, I have always been involved with horses. When we came to live in Ruakaka I saw the racetrack and thought I would get some racehorses.
“I have only ever got up to four or five horses. She (Patricia) is the only one I have got in work.
“I have got a yearling full-sister to her at home and I am quite excited about her.”
