Emanon impresses at Gore
Emanon may live in the shadow of her multiple Group One-winning sibling Legarto, but she’s doing her bit to try and live up to the family name.
The five-year-old daughter of Burgundy secured her eighth career victory at Gore on Sunday, pleasing trainer Lionel Dobbs, who, along with his wife Janine Young, leases the mare from breeder Warwick Jefferies.
“I thought she would go well, I was pretty confident. Sam (Wynne) rode her to perfection, it was a good race, and she has come through it well,” stated Dobbs.
“We have had a few issues with her with mud fever, which needed to be treated every day for a while, but she has recovered really well and is back in form.”
Dobbs and Young have had Emanon since she was a juvenile and they have enjoyed the ride she has taken them on over the last three years.
“We lease her off Warwick Jefferies, and up until three months ago, we had never met him,” said Dobbs.
“We got a horse from Karen Fursdon, and when I said we were retiring him and were looking for another horse, she linked us up with Warwick, and he sent one down to us.
“We have leased about five horses off him over the years. We got her (Emanon) down, and she was quite a big girl, and we thought she would make a two-year-old. She went straight to a two-year-old race at Riccarton and ran third.”
Emanon has now won nearly $200,000 in prizemoney, and Dobbs and Young are hoping to gain some black-type with her ahead of returning to Jefferies next year.
“We knew that when we got her that she would be going back to Warwick for breeding. Geordie Girl (dam) has just had her last foal, and he doesn’t think he will breed from her again.
“She dropped a filly to Proisir about two weeks ago. We might take her to the Breeders (Group 3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes, 1400m), up against fillies and mares, and I think the distance will suit her.”
The Orari couple also lease seven-year-old mare Youneverknow off Jefferies and were close to scoring a double on Sunday when the daughter of Sacred Falls was the runner-up in the AB Lime (2000m).
“Youneverknow surprised us because she doesn’t really like a heavy track, but the track was really good down there considering the amount of rain they had.
“She handled the track really well, and we were quite happy with her. He (Jefferies) owns her as well, but we do have a right of purchase with her. She has won four for us, so we are quite happy with that.
“We hope our relationship with him continues for a few more years.”