Doddle too strong at Matamata
Versatile mare Doddle made up for a luckless run in Listed company at her last start when she produced a strong staying performance to take out the Matamata Function Centre (2000m) on Saturday.
The Stephen Marsh-trained five-year-old had dropped out to finish last at the venue when competing in the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) a fortnight earlier, but showed she had taken no ill-effects from the run as she bounced back to the form that has seen her competitive throughout her current campaign.
Rider Tegan Newman eased the daughter of Dundeel to the rear of the field from a wide draw and was content to have her lobbing along in a good rhythm as local galloper Giacomo set up a strong pace out in front.
Newman carefully picked a path against the inner approaching the home turn then angled Doddle out three wide in a yawning gap as most of the field fanned wide rounding the bend.
Doddle let down strongly and joined Giacomo at the 100m before edging clear to win by a neck from the gallant pacemaker, while another local runner in Ess Vee Are made up good ground out wide to take third.
Part-owner Jim Bruford, who purchased the mare for $20,000 out of the JK Farm draft during the Book 1 National Yearling sale at Karaka in 2021 was thrilled with the victory.
“She was a bit of a bargain buy as she was a November foal and was a touch underdeveloped at the time,” Bruford said.
“My good friend Chris Griffin, who sadly passed away about nine months ago, had asked me to buy him a nice filly so when I got this one I said to him we had better go halves in her.
“We had raced a number of horses over the years and this one has proven to be a very good decision.
“She was never going to make a two-year-old type and even at three she was still quite immature, but Stephen has handled her very patiently and we are now seeing the benefit of that.”
Bruford was also quick to heap praise aboard Newman for her effort in the saddle.
“Tegan gets on really well with the mare and I thought her ride today was top class,” he said.
“It was the same when she won the Taupo Cup on her three starts back and the mare did have an excuse last time as when she ran second at Tauranga she cut her tongue quite badly, so last time out here the race was run upside down, she got pulling and reefing and nothing went her way.
“Today Tegan had her in a nice rhythm and she delivered like we hoped she would.
“I’m not sure what Stephen has in store for her next but the goal is to get her some black type so that is where we will be looking in the autumn.”
The victory by Doddle was the 56th for the season for Marsh who has had his runners firing on all cylinders in recent months including El Vencedor who will be looking for his third Group 1 victory in succession when he contests the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie next Saturday.
Doddle is the first foal of race-winning Redoute’s Choice mare Into The Groove with her granddam A Material Girl a half-sister to quadruple Australian Group 1 winner Divine Madonna.
She has now won five of her 25 starts and over $199,000 in prizemoney.
Comments are closed.