Group aspirations for The Precious One
Regally-bred mare The Precious One already has a stakes scalp to her name, but her connections are on the hunt for an elusive Group victory before they retire her to the broodmare paddock. The daughter of Darci Brahma and dual Group 1 winner The Jewel, The Precious One’s broodmare career is already assured, however, trainer Claire Anderton believes she is capable of a Group win.
The Precious One recorded her maiden stakes victory in the Listed Hazlett Stakes (1200m) at Wingatui on Boxing Day last year before trailing the field home in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham earlier this month. The five-year-old mare rebounded with a solid runner-up performance over 1200m at Wingatui on Saturday and Anderton now has her sights set on the Group 3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton next month.
“Looking at her from the owners point-of-view and going forward to being a broodmare, we are really looking at some more black-type,” she said. “There is a Group 3 fillies and mares mile on the 21st of March, so we are just trying to plot a plan to get her to that.”
Anderton said The Precious One is due a turn of luck after an incident packed career. “She has had a lot of niggly wee issues right from the start. If someone gets hurt on the farm it is always her. “We just take her one race at a time. We have tried to make plans with her, but nothing ever seems to go her way. I have never had a horse who has been so unlucky.”
Anderton hasn’t ruled out The Precious One extending her racing career next season, but said it is up to her owners, the Dennis brothers of Southland. “She is improving all the time at the moment,” she said. “Her racing manners seem to be improving, she is relaxing and she seems to be finding the line a bit better. “If she really comes up this season and looks like she will get a big one next time in I think the boys will be quite open to bringing her back for another season.”