Delayed return helps Elle Lou win first up at Rosehill
CHRIS Waller-trained Elle Lou has resumed its racing career in winning fashion at Rosehill in the second race of the day after taking a month away from the competitive track.
After a failure at the Gold Coast in oppressive heat, the stable elected to give the five-year-old a month break and it has paid dividends after Glyn Schofield kept the mare at the back of the seven runner field to record a comfortable victory and return $4.30 at Sportsbet.com.au.
The win was Schofield’s second win of the day from two races.
Handfast ($2 at Crownbet.com.au) stayed on well after being at the front of the field of the majority of the run, while Queen Of Wands closed late to round out the placings in a small field.
Stable representative Charlie Duckworth said the additional time away from racing was just the tonic the horse needed to recover from the Fillys and Mares Magic Millions race a little over a month ago.
“It’s taken me about the same (time to recover), so I fully understand,” Duckworth joked in the aftermath of the win.
“The heat does take a lot out of them … we did the right thing and just backed off her let her get over it in her own time.
“(Jockey Glen Schofield) gets on really well with her and she was brilliant today.”
Although the team did elect to give Elle Lou a month-long break from the Gold Coast race, the team did put the five-year-old through its paces in a barrier trial two weeks ago to maintain racing condition.
As for the future of the five-year-old, there are no immediate plans in place, but Duckworth said trainer Chris Waller is certain to have ‘something nice lined up for her.’
“With a mare like her it is important that we get a black type into her as much as we can,” he said.