The Craig Ivil-trained Princess Elly was a popular figure at Wanganui racecourse last Saturday when she rewarded punters when taking out the Spooner Toy & Hood Ltd 1600.

The four-year-old mare had been very consistent in her previous six outings and was duly backed into $3.50 favouritism for Saturday’s contest, which she comfortably won by a length over Champagne Sunday.

Ivil shared punters’ optimism and was pleased with his mare’s performance.

“She ran well,” he said. “She has really only had a couple of bad runs – one was when she had a really hard track at Riccarton and the other was when she got interfered with at Wanganui last start.

“She has always shown a bit, we have taken our time with her and let her develop.”

Bred by Waikato Stud, Princess Elly was purchased by part-owner Mary Colman for $2,300 out of Bella Vinci Limited’s 2021 Gavelhouse Plus National Online Yearling Sale draft, and she has proven to be a shrewd investment.

“Mary Colman used to be heavily involved in the trotting and used to be the President of the Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club,” Ivil said. “She races Princess Elly with my son’s partner Emma.”

The duo have plenty to look forward to with their mare, however, Ivil said the daughter of Sacred Falls will shortly head for a spell before returning in the spring with a view to competing over further ground.

“She will have a couple of more runs and then she will have a break over winter. We will find a (rating) 75 for her somewhere and see how we go. She will then get ready for the spring,” he said.

“The further the better with her. The Zabeel will kick in with time, she is just not quite strong enough yet. She will run a mile and a half uphill.

“We will poke our way along and see where we end up. She will definitely win races over ground in some form of grade.”

Ivil is also enjoying having his daughter, former Racing.com presenter Jayne Ivil, back in New Zealand with her partner Brad Taylor and their children Pippa and Luke.

“We have got five of them (grandchildren) now and one on the way,” Ivil said. “It will be good that they can grown up together and be around each other."