Tavi’s Court returns a winner at Wanganui
Tavi’s Court, the seasoned winter sprinter, celebrated a triumphant comeback at Wanganui on Saturday after almost a year without a win. This determined eight-year-old had been displaying consistent improvement in recent races, and he seized the opportunity to compete against younger rivals in a rating 88 1200m race.
Apprentice jockey Lemmy Douglas made excellent use of his 3kg claim, reducing the topweight of this Tavistock descendant, trained by Anna Clement, to a manageable 57kgs. Tavi’s Court showcased his fighting spirit, surging down the centre of the track to secure victory by a neck over the unlucky Flower Of Wanaka, who had been held up for most of the home straight.
Anna Clement had seen encouraging signs from her stable favourite in recent outings, making her believe he could return to the winner’s circle if given the right conditions.
“He thrives at Wanganui, and his last few runs have shown improvement, so I thought if we placed him well, he had another win in him,” Clement commented.
“His weight was higher, so Lemmy’s claim was crucial, and he rode him well in his last start, which gave me confidence. He worked well during the week, so I had a feeling today could be the day, and it worked out.”
Looking ahead, Clement is eyeing the Hastings Spring Carnival, starting on September 9, as Tavi’s Court’s next target.
“We’ll explore options at Hastings as he performs well there,” she said.
“He finished third in the Spring Sprint (Group 3, 1400m) last year, and in 2019, he was the runner-up on all three days. Now that he has regained his confidence, I’m hopeful he can replicate that success at Hastings.”
Tavi’s Court has secured nine victories from 48 starts and has earned over NZ$247,000 in prize money for his owners, Graham and Annette Hill, who bred him from their Keeper mare, Keep Her Free.
Keep Her Free is the granddaughter of the eight-time race winner Free Court and the dam of the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) champion, Court Ruler.