3 minute read

Cambridge trainer Paul Mirabelli is happy to concede he originally misjudged the future of his promising mare Hannah Mary.

Hannah Mary scored a comfortable victory over her rating 75 rivals in the first race of her spring campaign at Ellerslie on the weekend.

Mirabelli, who leases the daughter of Dubawi from the Hawkins family who operate Wentwood Grange Stud, took over her training about 12 months ago with the thought she could make a nice stayer on winter footing.

Two victories over 1200 metres and another at 1400 metres have now convinced Mirabelli that her immediate future lies as a sprinter although he hasn’t totally given away thoughts of stepping her up over ground later in the season.

“I really thought she would be a stayer based on her breeding and her work when I first got her but she won twice last season over the sprint trips and has just kept getting better and better as she has matured,” he explained.

“She had a really good break back at the stud over the winter and has come back bigger and stronger for this campaign.

“She goes best when she is fresh so I will space her races and while she is going so well over the sprints I can’t see any reason to try her over further although I do think she will be just as competitive over a bit more ground.”

Mirabelli is conscious of enhancing the mare’s future breeding prospects so is keen to secure valuable ”black type” for her during this campaign.

“The way she did it on the weekend and the improvement she has made makes me think she can make the step up to stakes level so her next target will most likely be the Counties Bowl in November,” he said.

“That’s about seven or eight weeks away so it will fit in nicely for her and then I can look at where else she might be well placed after that.”

The Listed Counties Bowl (1100m) will be run on Counties Cup day at Pukekohe on the 22nd of November.