The successful completion of a set of jumpouts at Hastings last Friday has local trainer John Bary fizzing as he awaits a return to racing next month.
Bary lined up a number of his potential winter team on the day and was delighted with their performances which including an impressive winning gallop over 780m by lightly raced maiden Spydapus.
The three-year-old Burgundy filly showed plenty of brilliance to lead all the way in her 780m workout, with Bary set to line her up over 800m at Wanganui on July 10.
“It was great to get the horses up and going on the day after the last couple of months,” he said.
“We certainly enjoyed the day and it was good for the staff to get back into the groove and to also catch up with a few people we haven’t seen due to the lockdown.
“I’ve probably got the biggest winter team I’ve had for a few years and I’m hopeful of some early success if they can go as well as they did on Friday.
“Spydapus was very good in her heat while the old horse The Bandito showed plenty of dash as well.
“If the tracks stay reasonable The Bandito will run at Awapuni on July 4 while Spydapus will go to Wanganui on the 10th.
“She (Spydapus) has had one start for a third before we went into lockdown and has come on well from that. She has plenty of speed so 800m at Wanganui will suit her nicely.”
Bary was also impressed with the performance of unraced maiden Ask Pa who won her 780m heat. The Ocean Park filly is out of Gr.2 Waikato Gold Cup (2400m) winner Singing Star and is a half-sister to Bary’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) runner-up, Miss Selby.
“Ask Pa is a lovely, well related filly who I have a lot of time for,” he said.
“We’ve taken her along quietly but she has made good progress and won’t be far away from having a start once we get back underway again.
“We will also have another couple of runners for that Wanganui meeting including Louboutin who won twice on wet tracks at the course last season.
“She is coming along nicely so I’m expecting to have a good winter with her as well.”
Bary welcomed back to the stable the majority of his spring team on Monday morning including several of his better performed runners such as Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) runner-up Callsign Mav.
“Our spring team had their first day back today so it was a pretty busy morning for the staff,” he said.
“Included in that was Callsign Mav who has really thickened up and matured during the break. I know that because we’ve had to buy him a bigger rug so he’s a pretty big boy now.
“He acquitted himself well during his three-year-old campaign and I’m expecting him to be even better this time around.
“The Wicket Maiden is another one who has really thrived during her spell. “She showed plenty of ability with two wins from her three starts as a two-year-old so we will be looking at races like the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) during the spring carnival for her.”
