Noel Harris will be looking to time his run to perfection aboard Everswindell in Saturday's $300,000 Wellington Cup.
The Waikato jockey yesterday partnered the 4-year-old mare to victory in the $40,000 Wellington Cup Trial Handicap (2200m) at Trentham and said there was one important factor he learned.
"She's
got the talent but I won't be getting to the front too soon on her," Harris said.
Harris yesterday had Everswindell well positioned three back on the outside and was into the clear early in the run home.
Everswindell, a $2.30 hot favourite, looked to be trotting at the time and when she lodged her claim it appeared she would run past the leader Accelerant with ease. But in the concluding stages she had her work cut out to beat Accelerant by a neck.
Harris believed Everswindell lost concentration towards the end. "I got to the front too soon - too much open space. But she had enough in reserve."
Harris, who won the Wellington Cup three times aboard Castletown, said Everswindell was "going to be an interesting ride".
"She's obviously not a horse like Castletown when I can take off a long way from home. An evenly-run race and timing is going to be everything."
The horse's trainer John Sargent was not on hand for yesterday's win but said he had confidence she would be suited to the 3200m of the Cup.
The longest distance at which Everswindell has raced is the 2400m of last year's New Zealand Oaks at Trentham where she was unplaced.
Everswindell notched her third win from 20 starts and her odds for the Cup were shortened to $7. She is guaranteed a Cup start by virtue of yesterday's win.
- NZPA
