3 minute read
Exciting sprinter Twain will head to the spelling paddock off the back of an impressive performance in Saturday’s Bayleys Country Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa.
The four-year-old son of Per Incanto has proven to be a winning machine since commencing racing in July last year, with five victories from just eight starts before lining up on Saturday.
Trainer John Bell has made no secret of his regard for Twain and was confident of another big effort provided he mastered the left-handed way of going at Te Rapa despite having won his only previous start there.
Apprentice Triston Moodley had him perfectly placed tracking lightweight pacemaker Shoes throughout before angling off the fence to challenge shortly after turning for home.
Twain shot away on the Heavy10 surface and despite being challenged late by Gospodin, he had plenty in hand as he cruised to the line to win by just on two lengths.
Bell has his sights set on a far bigger prize at the venue, with his charge expected to take his place in the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) on August 23 – a race won by his illustrious dam Fleur de Lune.
"We were quite confident (today) and he has now done it again left-handed, so he will go home to a paddock with some nice grass and we will bring him on for the spring," Bell said. "He is a class horse.
"Plans for him are in progress and I want to say it was a great ride by Triston. I'd also like to thank his owners Elizabeth and Peter Martin, who are great supporters of the stable.
"We have a yearling full-sister being broken in now, so we have some exciting horses."
Moodley was full of praise for the effort, especially as he believes the horse didn't really handle the heavy surface that well.
"He didn't really like that going, so it really shows his ability," he said. "He was struggling a bit, so to pull it off the way he did is pretty impressive.
"There was always going to be quite a bit of speed on, so I just sat behind it and he just travelled so well and won going away in that testing ground.
"I'm looking forward to riding him on better ground, so thanks to Mr Bell for keeping me on."
Raced by his breeders Elizabeth and Peter Martin, Twain is out of the Group One-winning mare Fleur de Lune, who scored on six occasions including the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Foxbridge Plate (1200m).
Twain has now won six of his nine starts and $143,320 in prizemoney. -