Winning Horse: So You Assume (Aus)

4yoM Animal Kingdom (USA) - Bianca (NZ)(Painted Black (Jpn))

13 starts - 3 wins 2 seconds 2 thirds 3 fourths $128478

Other Wins

1st Sandown-Lakeside The Big Screen Company (Bm64) 1600m (2020)

1st New Plymouth Raceway Slots For $101,000 Feb 1 Mdn 1600m (2019)

Other Placings

3rd Sandown-Hillside Mrc Membership Renewal (Bm70) 1600m (2021)

2nd Sandown-Hillside Tile Importer (Bm64) 1300m (2020)

2nd Matamata Comag (Bm65) 1600m (2020)

3rd New Plymouth Raceway Platinum Homes Taranaki Mdn 1400m (2019) (Debut Run)

Race Result:

1st: So You Assume (Shane Nichols/Dean Yendall) - $6

2nd: Horse For Higher (Dan O’Sullivan/Will Price) - $31
3rd: Nordic Symphony (Symon Wilde/Ben Melham) - $31

Winning Time: 1:38.71 Last 600m: 35.36

Margins: 4L x Long Neck

Winning Trainer: Shane Nichols

Expectations of taking on older mares: “I thought coming here to Moonee Valley would really suit her being up on speed. She had run on soft tracks at her last couple and we felt the firm wouldn’t be a concern. She’s probably at the peak of her powers. She’s not very big and being down in the weights was a big plus.”

What to do with her now: “She becomes one of these ratings mares. We think she’ll get to 2000 metres in time. She’s probably not quite at that stakes level, maybe she might be in time, but she’s not quite there yet. We might try and keep her around this sort of mark for the next few weeks and then maybe have a break during the spring and come back in November, and she might end up in a race like the Summoned at Sandown at the end of the carnival when the others are out of petrol. That could be something for her.”

Winning Jockey: Dean Yendall

She’s progressive: “Today was an experience for her. She’s done a marvellous job coming through from a maiden to a Sandown win and running second last start. Going around to the barriers I thought I was going to have a tough task on my hands. She shied at everything going around and then coming back to the gates. She was very new and she’s only had a handful of starts. I was hopeful of having a bunny, something to follow and get me into the straight at least, which Leale did.”

Surface: “It’s astronomical. We’re in winter and we’re racing on Good 4, Good 3 track. That’s no fault of anyone. What if the course attendants put water on and it does rain, we’re racing on a Heavy 10. No, it’s been a great effort.