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An unlucky run at her previous start hinted local mare Slimline may be on the way back to her best form and so it proved as she took out the feature event on the day at Awapuni.
Trainer Gary Vile had never lost faith in the six-year-old Castledale mare and she delivered on his confidence with a comprehensive display that saw her dominate in the closing stages of the Wai Pine Ltd/John Turkington Forestry Ltd Bulls Country Cup (1500m).
Settled beautifully in the trail by rider Darryl Bradley, Slimline travelled comfortably before angling into a challenging position one-off the rail as the field turned for home. Bradley quickly urged her to the front and she gamely fought off all challenges to score a gritty win from Cambridge visitor Seize The Moment.“It was just unfortunate the run she got last time, but he rode her beautifully today,” said Vile after the race.
“She’s come of age and, like a lot by Castledale, the older they are the better they get.”Vile indicated he had no specific plans for the mare, preferring to place her to advantage while there remained some give in the tracks.
“She will just carry on until the tracks get too hard,” he said.“Once that happens we will put her aside until the autumn. She hasn’t got the best action in the world, but she has won over $100,000 which isn’t too bad for racing solely in New Zealand.”
Slimline’s victory was her fifth from 33 career starts with prizemoney of just over $132,000 earned to date.