Howie Mathews is heading to Wanganui on Saturday full of confidence with his sole representative, Free Spirit (NZ) (Charm Spirit).
The seven-year-old mare finished runner-up behind stablemate Weneedashock (NZ) (Shocking) on Awapuni’s synthetic track earlier this month and he is hoping she can go one better on Saturday.
Mathews tried Free Spirit on the polytrack during winter and said she has taken to it like a duck to water but is looking forward to getting her back on the grass this weekend.
“I thought that the roles would be reversed (last start with Weneedashock) because the other horse was a little bit of an afterthought because we needed to have the race on the synthetic that day, so we stuck him in,” Mathews said.
“She has won six and a couple of good races on the grass, but not on the heavy, that is why we have played around on the synthetic.
“She was supposed to be spelling but she had some foot problems, so we kept her in work and kept an eye on things. We were lucky that she pulled through it well and we thought why not give the synthetic a go. It has worked out well for her.
“All is well, and we are just hoping for the best.”
The daughter of Charm Spirit has drawn the ace barrier in the Dave Hoskin Carriers Open 2040m and will be partnered by apprentice jockey Elen Nicholas.
“There’s a natural front-runner there and she just sticks along and minds her own business. She will get home well,” Mathews said.
The Otaki trainer went to the Foxton trials with Weneedashock on Tuesday and was happy with his run behind Group One performer Spring Tide.
“A lot of people don’t rate him. He has had 17 starts for two wins but two or three of those runs were very unlucky and he didn’t get all favours. Stayers have got to have all things go right for them,” Mathews said.
“He will go back to the synthetic at Palmy, that is why I trialled him. We have the synthetic on the 14th again, so I am sitting tight with him. I don’t really want to be running him on really heavy tracks. Going on the synthetic really suits him so he can pop around there.
“There is a nice race for him there over 2100m and hopefully he can work his way into a Cup race.”
He will be joined by stablemate Susie Jane (NZ) (Nadeem), who left Mathews scratching his head following her disappointing last placed performance at Awapuni last week.
“It’s a little bit of a mystery. We have been monitoring her over the last couple of days and she has been eating well and doing everything right. I took the blinkers off her and maybe I did the wrong thing,” he said.
“She seems 100 percent so she will just wait now until the synthetic.”
Meanwhile, Mathews is looking forward to kicking off the career of Came Saw Conquered (NZ) (Churchill), a four-year-old gelding he purchased off Gavelhouse.com for $4,000.
“I bought a horse out of Te Akau by Churchill. We bought him as a three-year-old and he is nearly reaching 17 hands. He has obviously needed time and we have given him that,” Mathews said.
“He will probably have a jumpout on Tuesday at Levin and he is coming up nicely.”
