Ken and Bev Kelso are not demonstrative, so when they say Cote D'Or could be the best mare they've trained it pays to listen.
"Potentially, that is," says Ken Kelso by way of clarification after Cote D'Or scored an against-the-odds victory in Saturday's $50,000 Team Wealleans Matamata Cup.
The win was against the odds because few horses could make significant ground from the back of the field on the day, particularly if they got out to the centre of the track -- usually a good place to be at Matamata in wet conditions but not on Saturday.
Cote D'Or did both, but still looked almost an impossible chance of running top three at the 250m. The mare's finishing burst was exceptional and suggested a big win is somewhere in the future. "It was a very good run because she wobbled around the corner, which she can often do," said Kelso. Cote D'or is far from big, but she is strong for her size, the body nearly fully developed. The brain has been slower to maturity. The Kelsos and rider Danielle Johnson believe the mare still has a fair bit to learn.
The immediate path forward for the Sir Peter Vela-owned mare is undecided. "We've achieved our first goal," says Kelso. "When we turned her out after winning at Te Aroha we and Sir Peter's racing manager Garry Cossey set our eyes on winning this race and getting in at the right weight. The minimum 53kg was perfect.