Danny Frye was a relieved man after watching his pride and joy Our Echo (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) return to form when taking out the Kurow Cup West Coast Steeplechaser (1400m) on Monday.
The eight-year-old son of Echoes of Heaven was in career best form last autumn when winning the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) and placing in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at Trentham, but hit a slump on his return this season, finishing unplaced in his four starts in the lead-up to his Kurow test.
Left scratching his head following the subpar performances, Frye elected to change his gelding’s training routine, and it paid dividends on Monday with a half neck victory over Epee Beel.
“It was a very satisfying win. It looks as though we are getting things right with him now,” Frye said.
“The ability is there and it has always been there, but we questioned ourselves after the last couple of runs.
“He is another year older and we have been too kind to him and too heavy with the feed dipper, so we changed a few things around with him and put him on a Jenny Craig diet and stepped his workload up a wee bit more.
“Tina (Comignaghi, jockey) was a big help too, she knows the horse and has got a fantastic record on him.
“We rode him a bit quieter yesterday, which was always going to be the plan, and we got the prize, which was really nice.”
A few quiet days in the paddock are now instore for Our Echo before a likely trip north to Trentham, although Frye is yet to set a plan in stone.
“He didn’t get home until midnight last night, so he will have a couple of days of R and R,” Frye said.
“Programming-wise we are a bit up in the air of what to do and where to go. We will see how he comes through this and hopefully there is something at Trentham for him because he likes going up there.
“He is nominated for the Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m). I think on paper it is a bit rich and at this stage we are only 29th in the order of entry. It is a classy lot.”
Following Monday’s win, Frye was complimentary of the Kurow Jockey Club and said the track held up well to the showers of rain throughout the day.
“It was a beautiful Christmas crowd and you have to give kudos to the club in regards to the track conditions,” he said.
“There have been a number of meetings that have been abandoned because of rain on the day, which they did get, and the track couldn’t have raced or ridden better.”
