Group One target for Supera
Supera winning the Gr.3 Tui- Backing A Winner Since 1889 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) Photo: Grant Matthew (Race Images Palmerston North)
Talented four-year-old Supera landed her first stakes success last weekend when winning the Gr.3 Tui- Backing A Winner Since 1889 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and the well-related mare will now be set for bigger targets.
Prepared by Ken and Bev Kelso, who train in partnership with Mark Donoghue, Supera has now won five of her ten starts for her owner and breeder Sir Peter Vela.
The daughter of Savabeel is a half-sister to multiple Group Three winner Eleonora and is a granddaughter of champion stayer Ethereal.
“She’s always shown us a fair bit, right from day one,” Ken Kelso said. “Temperament has always been an issue with her, but she is gradually improving.
“She has always had that x-factor and it is nice that she is putting it all together and hopefully it is upwards from here.”
Kelso said the Anniversary had been a target race with Vela’s racing manager Garry Cossey playing a key role in identifying the race.
“We’re by-passing the Thorndon Mile,” Kelso said.
“We nominated her in case something went wrong in the meantime and we didn’t make it to the Anniversary, but she has done the job now and got full black type.
“We will look for something bigger again.”
Kelso indicated the Gr.1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic (1600m) at Otaki in February would be the mare’s primary aim.
“She’ll have a week off and I think it is 40 days to Otaki,” Kelso said. “That policy of keeping her fresh and going a mile seems to be working with her and eventually she will get over ground.
“We will go to Otaki and then the logical target after that is the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) at Te Aroha. She’s got a terrific turn of foot and I think she can only get stronger.
“Mark (Donoghue) does all the work on her at home and she is not easy to work, but Mark has done a fantastic job. It was a big call to take her down to Trentham with her temperament issues, but she handled it quite well and the trip away might be the making of her.”
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