Mansour pleased with Helena Baby

 

Helena Baby’s winning streak may have come to an end last start when finishing fifth in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m), but jockey Donavan Mansour believes he has improved since that run.

 

The John Bell-trained gelding had won his previous five starts and Mansour’s only concern heading into Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings is the Dead5 track.

 

“I honestly feel that he is better and has turned the right way this week and Mr Bell has done a fantastic job with him. We are looking forward to it,” Mansour said.

 

“I would have liked some rain (before Saturday). He is proven on a wet track, but I feel like he would go well on a dead track.

 

“He is probably one of the strongest horses I have ever ridden, my arms feel like they are seven metres longer after I have worked him.”

 

Mansour believes the son of Guillotine best distance would be over a mile and thinks he would be ideally is ideally suited to the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) on the second day of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carnival.

 

“I think a mile to 1800m is his best distance and if it fits in well he would get the 2000m,” he said.

 

TAB bookmakers have installed Helena Baby as an $8.50 fourth favourite behind Foxbridge Plate winner Endless Drama ($2.70), Melody Belle ($5), and Danzdanzdance ($8).

 

 

Tye Angland touched by generous gesture

 

Tye Angland has expressed his gratitude to the Kwok family, the owners of New Zealand-bred champion Hong Kong galloper Beauty Generation, following their $A1 million gift to his family.

 

Angland, who rode horses for the Kwoks in Australia and Hong Kong, became a quadriplegic after suffering spinal injuries in a race fall in Hong Kong in November.

 

The Kwok family's donation was made at a racing function in Hong Kong on Wednesday, just days out from the start of their new season.

 

The money will be placed into trust funds for Angland's three children and will be used to fund their education and future life expenses.

 

"The whole family is obviously very grateful with what the Kwok family has put together for us," Angland said.

 

"Emotions have been high and low ever since the accident. The racing family has been very supportive of the whole accident and towards my family as well.

 

"It's definitely made life that little bit easier, that's for sure."