Striking her favoured track conditions, Northern mare Cork sailed to victory in the Stephanie Murray Mortgages Open Handicap (1800m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday for Pam Gerard.

A runner-up in last year’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m), Cork was aimed at the feature event again last Saturday and fought on bravely in the holding track conditions for eighth. After pulling up well, Gerard opted to back the mare up during the second weekend of the carnival with the addition of apprentice Donovan Cooper on board, decreasing her weight to a feather-light 51kg.

The winner of the Winter Cup, Jay Bee Gee, was the top pick in the market at $3.10 narrowly ahead of runner-up Freeze Frame, and jockey Kate Hercock took matters into her own hands early aboard the favourite controlling a steady tempo just ahead of Cork.

The compact field fanned across the straight turning for home and Cooper opted to remain close to the rail with Cork, while Jay Bee Gee descended nearer the centre of the track. The pair fought out a tight finish all the way to the post, but Cork was too strong in the closing bounds to score by a half-neck, with Jay Bee Gee game in defeat under 59kg.

Gerard had anticipated the looser track conditions to suit her mare and was pleased to see her deliver.

“It was a super run,” she said.

“She was super last week as well, but she drew 21 and did a bit of work. Lisa (Allpress, jockey) said at the top of the straight that she thought she was going to win, but she just got stuck in the mud as it got pretty puggy throughout the day. Lisa said she just needs rain, so I think the little bit Christchurch got yesterday played into our hands.

“She is a fully matured mare now and needs to be out there racing, so we elected to start. She can get a little bit niggly, so to turn around in a week, she’s done a great job.

“Taking three kilos off was also a great help and Donovan is a strong young rider that has been getting plenty of wins. 

“We thought we had her spot on for last week and we’ve got Richie Fallon down there doing a fantastic job every time he takes them down there for us. He’s got all day at the races, so he brushes them until they are spotless so they look fantastic every time.”

The upcoming Riccarton meeting on the 31^st of August appeals to Gerard, who is considering whether to continue campaigning Cork in the south before returning her home to Matamata.

“There is another race back at a mile in three weeks’ time, obviously we’ve got another horse down there too so we’ll see how she comes through this before deciding whether she comes back up here or stays down,” she said.

“We’re chasing wet tracks with her, that’s what she needs.”

Mapperley Stud stallion Complacent sired the quinella in the race, with Cork bred by Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax who presented her under their Blandford Lodge banner at the 2019 Karaka Yearling Sales.  

She was a $30,000 purchase by Ballymore Stables and Paul Moroney Bloodstock, and is raced in the Fletcher tartan of owners Dame Sian Elias, Natalie Walker, Ned Fletcher and Hugh Fletcher.

“The Fletcher family are very good supporters of Ballymore Stables, and it’s great to have a mare like Cork that tries so hard and was able to win during the Grand National Carnival at Riccarton,” Gerard said. 

Her O’Reilly dam, A Little Irish, has also produced exciting talent Little Bit Of Love, who won four-straight in his most recent campaign for Wexford Stables.