Exciting filly Pivotal Ten (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) has been making waves in the south, scoring consecutive stakes victories, and will bid to extend it to three when she heads to Ascot Park on Saturday.
The three-year-old daughter of Ten Sovereigns has won her last four starts, including the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day and the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) earlier this month, and trainer-jockey Samantha Wynne couldn’t be any happier with her charge.
“She has been going great, I couldn’t ask for more. She seems happy in herself at the moment,” she said.
“Hopefully she keeps doing what she is doing, but we will just take each race as it comes.”
Wynne will once again partner the filly this weekend in the Listed ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (1400m) where they have drawn ideally in barrier two.
“I am delighted with the draw. She puts herself there, so hopefully she is clean away,” Wynne said.
With her current run of form, Pivotal Ten’s name has been bandied around for a possible $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) slot, however, Wynne said their focus is firmly set on her upcoming targets at this stage.
“If the opportunity came you would definitely have to have a look at it, but it is not on our radar at the moment,” she said.
“We will just concentrate on Saturday and get her home, because she has stayed down here for the last two weeks, and then we will look at the Wellington Guineas (Gr.2 1400m).”
Into her fourth season of training, Wynne has already bettered her best previous season tally, and said she is enjoying her dual role as a jockey and trainer but is looking to focus on the latter in the coming years.
“I would be lost without the horses, so it is a dream come true to be able to train horses for a living,” she said.
“I have loved horses my entire life and I think it (training) is a natural progression because my body has had a few injuries in the last few years, so it would be sooner rather than later that I would have to hang up the boots, so I needed to suss out my future.
“I have got some great staff at home, a good farrier and vet. It is a big team effort. I am learning each day and enjoying the challenges ahead.”
While enjoying the challenge of training, Wynne said she still loves getting out on the track to ride on raceday.
“I love it (riding),” she said. “I am not getting full books anymore, I am just getting the four or five rides a meeting on average.
“I am enjoying it and I have got a good, happy medium at the moment and it’s thanks to the staff at home that it gives me the confidence to go to the races.”
While hoping to extend Pivotal Ten’s winning streak on Saturday, Wynne is also hopeful of a bold showing in the race from her other contender, Kellanzor (NZ) (Almanzor).
The Almanzor filly broke through for her maiden win at Gore earlier his month after finishing runner-up over 1200m at Kurow on debut, and will take a step up to stakes level on Saturday in the Southland Guineas.
“She is still green, but she has trained on well and hopefully she is going to improve the more racing that she has,” Wynne said.