Rosehill trainers Richard and Will Freedman believe Elettrica’s(NZ) (Vespa) six-year-old season could be a career-best for the Kiwi-bred mare, who carried top weight to an impressive victory in Saturday’s A$160,000 TAB Handicap (1300m) on her home track.
Previously a two-race winner in New Zealand, the daughter of Vespa added two Midway Handicaps to her CV during a five-year-old season that banked her connections more than A$198,000 in stakes. That campaign culminated in a first run at stakes level, finishing a close eighth in the Gr.3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone in May.
Elettrica has found herself in Benchmark 78 company this spring, and she started her preparation on a promising note with a close fifth over 1200m at Warwick Farm on October 16. She was allotted 61.5kg for Saturday’s race at Rosehill, which the Freedmans reduced to 59.5kg with apprentice jockey Molly Bourke’s 2kg claim.
Elettrica took up a handy position alongside the leader before quickening and hitting the front with 300m remaining. The favourite Pippie Beach drew up alongside her and looked set to go past, but Elettrica dug in and held her out by three-quarters of a length.
“I do think she’s even better when she has a bunny to follow, but she put them away like a good thing today,” Bourke said. “Every time they came into her eyesight, she found another gear, so I was very impressed.”
Elettrica has now had 32 starts for five wins, 13 placings and A$395,617 in stakes for a Tricolours Racing syndicate.
“She’s beautifully shiny at the moment and she’s just blossomed over the last couple of weeks,” Richard Freedman said. “We were worried about the tactics today. I thought something might want to lead, but it turned out nothing did. Molly realised that and sat outside the leader. The horse was travelling beautifully all the way, and we knew she was likely to finish it off better than most.
“I think this will be her best prep. She won a lot of money just from Midways in her last prep, and now she’s gone on and won a 78 today, so it’s great.”
Elettrica commenced her career in New Zealand and initially raced for breeder Kevin Hickman, winning two of her eight starts for Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer.
Out of the More Than Ready mare On The Move, Elettrica is a half-sister to the multiple black-type winner Chantilly Lace.
Elettrica was purchased for $51,000 by James Moss from the Valachi Downs Dispersal Sale on Gavelhouse Plus in 2022.
