Underrated staying mare Eulogy Show (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has enhanced her prospects of getting a start in the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) next month with an unflinching effort to take out the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton.
The six-year-old mare had finished fourth in the same race twelve months earlier and showed she loves the longer distance events as she sat outside the early pace before taking control at the 600m.
Expertly rated by Sam Wynne, the Centaine Spittles-trained daughter of Highly Recommended never shirked her task when tackled by race favourite Prismatic in the run home, extending her margin to just on a length at the winning post to register her third career victory.
Photo: Race Images South
Spittles was thrilled with the effort and was quick to praise Wynne for her ride.
“Sam rated her perfectly and that certainly helped get the win,” Spittles said.
“She (Eulogy Show) is very tough once she gets to the front, she just loves it there and Sam got her to drop the bit and relax and she had plenty of fight in the run home.
“She seems a little stronger this time in and we know she goes best once she gets out to a middle distance and beyond. She ran second on Cup Day last year over 2600m so we know she can handle a good track and she likes it when things get tough.”
Spittles admitted the mare holds a soft spot in her heart and she would dearly love to see her gain a start in the New Zealand Cup as she believes she will lap up the two-mile journey with a light weight on her back.
“She really is a funny wee thing at times,” she said.
“When she is a home she loves to buck and kick and race around her paddock when you feed her.
“At the track though she is all business and we would dearly like to sneak her into the Cup as that has been her goal all the way through.
A daughter of unraced Stravinsky mare Every Cloud, Eulogy Show comes from an extended family with plenty of staying prowess including dual Group One winner Showella and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Showcause, who also won twice at Group Two level.
