New Plymouth trainer Kim Reid is looking at the New Zealand Cup carnival with a fair bit of regret following Hi Yo Sass Bomb’s dominant resuming victory at Hawera on Saturday.
Reid had considered nominating her for some loftier targets this spring but was deterred by outside opinion, and her belief in the mare was proven correct when she claimed the competitive Johnny Neil Builders LTD 1400.
The speed was hotly contested in the early stages of the Rating 75 event, apprentice Ciel Butler patiently settled Hi Yo Sass Bomb second-last and found the better part of the Soft7 track wide around the home turn, the mare exploding out of the ground at the 300m and scored easily at the post by two-and-half lengths to Chikira Lass and race-favourite Cognito.
“She ran super against a few little odds, I was really thrilled,” Reid said.
“She’s improving every time and becoming very professional. She knows what she’s there for and relaxing really nicely in her races now, she used to over-race a bit but she’s just getting better and better.”
Assisted by Butler’s three-kilogram claim, carrying just 51.5kg, Hi Yo Sass Bomb handled the soft track conditions with ease, however, Reid sees improving tracks as a positive for the mare heading into the warmer months.
“It’s always an unknown until you try them, but I think she will run on anything, and the better tracks won’t stop her. She’s just a tough horse and she’ll do it no matter what,” she said.
The daughter of Complacent returned to winning form fresh-up from a short spell, having claimed two wins and two minor placings in her last preparation before an uncharacteristic eighth-placed run at Te Rapa in July.
“In hindsight, there were a couple of little things heading into her last start that I wasn’t quite happy with, but I think the break has helped her mentally and physically.”
Reid admitted to having some regret in not backing herself to nominate the promising five-year-old for the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) during New Zealand Cup Week, despite always having belief in the lightly-raced mare’s ability.
“Watching the way she ran, I have a little bit of a regret not entering her into a bigger race down at Riccarton, I should’ve backed myself because I did have a think about nominating her earlier on, but I probably let other people’s thoughts and opinions get in the way,” she said.
“I never picked her as a sprinter and thought she would be more suited over ground, but we haven’t had to step her up over ground yet and I think the mile would really suit her.
“I’ve always really believed in the horse and had a high opinion of her, you always wonder if they’re good enough, but I do think she’s quite classy.
“I think she has the class to match it with some of those better horses in the bigger races.”
Hi Yo Sass Bomb will potentially have an opportunity for stakes success in the North Island though, with Reid planning to nominate her for the Gr.3 Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham in a fortnight.
“I am thinking of the Thompson, she’ll be nominated for that but just whether she makes the field is probably the thing,” she said.
“I think the distance and the Trentham straight will suit her, she gets back a bit at the start and the long straight gives her time to get out and get going.”