Volpe Veloce remains unbeaten in Karaka 3YO Mile thriller
TALENTED three-year-old filly Volpe Veloce made it seven straight wins by taking out the $250,000 Karaka 3YO Mile at Ellerslie on Sunday.
The Graham Richardson-trained daughter of Foxwedge was drifting in the market prior to the start – from $3 to $5.50 at CrownBet.com.au, but it landed the prize in the narrowest of finishes.
Jockey Michael Coleman settled the three-year-old near the rear of the field before pushing out $1.80 favourite Sacred Elixir wide to make its run in the straight.
The filly looked held midway down the straight as Jon Snow and Heroic Valour kicked away, but it showed the class edge to win by a nose.
“I was feeling like I was in the hot seat coming into this, her toughest test, she had to be good to win,” Coleman said.
“They really sprinted off the corner and I was just hoping I got the bob.
“I was going nicely, but just hit a bit of a flat spot when they sprinted off the corner and the others got a length on me, but at the 300m mark we really started to wind into it.”
Trainer Graham Richardson has been running well with his juveniles, but none better than Volpe Veloce which took its career prizemoney to over $250,000.
Richardson stated that the winning margin doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but also said he found it tough to watch the tight finish.
“I just closed my eyes,” Richardson said.
“Each time I think I don’t know how good she is, but she just keeps improving all the time, every time she puts in.”
A big team of owners were on track at Ellerslie to enjoy the spoils and the filly will now likely head to the Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on February 11.
“It’s fantastic for the stable, fantastic for these guys here (the owners) – that’s what racing’s all about,” Richardson added.
Quality colt Heroic Valour finished second after looking the likely winner crossing the line. The Te Akau-raced son of Fastnet Rock had solid form leading into the race which included a placing at Ellerslie, but it another placing will have to suffice for the $4.40 second favourite.
Jon Snow produced a career-best performance for third at odds of $12.90 with the disappointment in the race belonging to J.J. Atkins winner Sacred Elixir which was backed into $1.80 after opening at $2.30 earlier in the week.
Punters shouldn’t be worried about the Tony Pike-trained gelding – it was fresh up after running second in the Victoria Derby and it will only get better with more racing this autumn.