Simogramor set to keep the wins rolling
IF promising filly Simogramor follows the family pattern the horse will win the Wentwood Grange Juvenile at Te Rapa on Sunday.
The Fastnet Rock two-year-old is a daughter of the top race-mare Katie Lee and youngster has already showcased some of mum’s ability following a trial win before finishing a solid second in its debut behind the smart Espumoso at Te Rapa earlier this month.
Katie Lee was also runner-up in its debut and went on to notch its first win in the horse’s second start and that was also on the Te Rapa course.
Simogramor is also eligible for the Karaka Million, but will not be rushed to be on hand for the $1 million feature at Ellerslie on January 27.
“I’m not going to push her. I’ll let her tell me what she wants to do,” co-trainer Debbie Rogerson said. “I’d like to see her get out of maidens then freshen her. She’s a nice two-year-old.”
Rogerson says Simogramor has some of the mother’s traits, particularly a dislike for wet ground.
“She likes good ground, just like Katie Lee did,” she said.
“She got wet tracks for her first two trials and didn’t like it. But when she struck a good track in her next trial, she won well.”
On debut at Te Rapa, Simogramor showed speed to lead and fought back well when headed by Espumoso, who had also won its debut, at Te Aroha.
“He was over-used and the other horse (Espumoso) was hard and fit and ready,” Rogerson said.
“When you look at the time and sectionals he ran it was a very good run. And the winner is a pretty smart horse.”
It’s no surprise that Rogerson is taking extra interest in Simogramor and the older half-sister Legramor.
“Katie Lee was special to me,” she said. “She had some tough races and never stopped trying.”
Katie Lee won eight races and seven of them were black-type with the obvious highlight being its Group One double in the NZ 1000 and 2000 Guineas.
The horse was the 2010 NZ Bloodstock Filly of the Year and as a broodmare it has had just the two foals to the races. The first foal, Fastdane Rocky (a brother to Simogramor), was an $800,000 Karaka sales-topper which was a trials winner from the Rogerson stable but had to be put down soon afterwards and never raced.
Legramor and Simogramor are shaping up well for their mother.
Legramor (by Commands), has won twice from seven starts and been runner-up three times. The latest start resulted in a fourth behind Shadows at Te Rapa recently.
“She should have won both her last two starts,” Rogerson said. “She was asked to do too much at Te Rapa.
“I’ve backed off her and will take her to Wellington for a Rating 75 1600. I want to get a few more rating points with her before asking her to go for black-type. She has just needed a bit of time.”
Legramor and Simogramor will have opportunities to boost the interest in the half-brother by Savabeel being offered in the Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka next January.