Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow is hoping to collect a couple of breakthrough successes with four runners heading to New Plymouth on Thursday.
The meeting is solely for apprentice jockeys, and Thurlow has engaged the country’s top two in Niranjan Parmar and Lily Sutherland to ride his quartet, both of which he has had success with in the past.
“Lily has ridden for us for a while and had a little bit to do with these horses,” he said.
“Niranjan Parmar is a very capable apprentice, he’s a strong, aggressive rider who has ridden a few winners for me before. I’m very happy to have him on.”
Sutherland leads the charge in the Central Districts region, and she will partner promising debutant O’Dee in the Mary Louise Wellington Cup Winner Maiden 3YO (1200m), who won at the Foxton trials on May 14.
“He’s just a nice progressive horse, he went well at the trials, and we expect him to run well tomorrow,” Thurlow said.
“I think he’ll go a good race, he’s done well since that trial and is reasonably well educated by now. He can get a little bit fierce, but he’s getting there so I’d expect him to go pretty well.
“If he can just settle off the speed, we’d be happy and hopefully he can finish it off, it depends how it pans out but he should be able to do that from the draw (6).”
She will also guide the fortunes of Steal My Thunder, a Derryn mare who came close to breaking maiden status last-start at Trentham.
“It was a very good run at Wellington, she probably just got to the front a bit soon and got caught late. We were confident she would run well there and I think she loves a wet track,” Thurlow said.
“She’s done well since she raced, and I’m very happy with her.
“Tomorrow’s looking like it’s going to be reasonably wet, although we haven’t had any rain, but I think the rating is still a heavy so that shouldn’t worry her.
“She’s drawn out a little bit (12), but that might not matter either if it’s wetter.”
Parmar will travel south from the Waikato to fulfil his rides aboard Towrope in The Underbelly Tito Transport Ltd Maiden (2000m) and Champagne Linda in the Robbie Patterson Regal Lodge Maiden (1400m).
“Towrope just didn’t really handle the heavy track at Wellington, but he’s come through it well. He physically looks good and he’s fit so he should race well tomorrow,” Thurlow said.
A daughter of Darci Brahma, Champagne Linda has shown promise in her short career and contested the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) last preparation.
“She’s going well and I’m happy with her, she went to Taupo first-up and went a really good race, the race just didn’t really pan out to suit her,” Thurlow said.
“She’s come through it well and her work has been good, we’ve got a good rider, so we are expecting a good run from her.”
