JUICY ODDS FOR SALT BAY

Winning three of her last start five starts, Salt Bay (4 m Redwood – Marsh Harbour, by Volksraad) stepped up in no uncertain terms to win the $25,000 Cal Isuzu Rating 72 1200 metres on 14 April at Te Rapa.

After charging home to win a midweek Rating 65 1200 metres on 22 March at Avondale, Salt Bay made a successful transition to weekend racing in similar fashion.

Although drawn barrier one, jockey Jake Bayliss was content to let a fast pace unfold ahead of him and Salt Bay was a distant fifth on settling. Standing the leader seven lengths at the 600m and still sixth the 300m, she found another gear when sighting daylight inside the 200m and dashed home to win easily by one and three quarter lengths.

Shortening from an overnight quote of $12.00 fixed on the NZ TAB, Salt Bay gained plenty of admirers – worthy, given the manner of her last start performance and final 600m in 33.5 – to close at $7.10 & $2.30 on the tote.

On Dead4 footing, Salt Bay ran the 1200 metres in 1:10.9 and last 600m in 33.9.

“She’s got a real turn of foot and it was very nice,” Bayliss said. “Where she was travelling was where she was happy and I didn’t want to be running too fast and out of her comfort zone. If you’ve got a hold of her and have one run at them she’s got a very slick turn of foot. It’s why I waited even though I was back at the 600m.

“They went very hard early, so I came back a bit and let them go, waited until she came up underneath me. If you annoy her to keep up, she won’t finish off as well.”

Co-trainer Pam Gerard said: “Being a Redwood, she’s needed time but we’ve been patient. Very well related, obviously Swampland in Australia, she’s got it there and always been able to gallop.

“I’ve been a bit unlucky with barrier draws lately, so when she drew one I was pretty stoked. She just has to do no work. There seemed to be plenty of pace on paper and it always looked nicely made up for her.”

Although registering three wins over sprint trips, Salt Bay has the pedigree and racing manner to extend over more ground.

“We’ve mainly kept her to 1200 metres because of where she’s been physically, and it’s worked out well chasing the pace, but now she’s stronger a step to 1400 metres should suit and the tempo won’t be so sharp,” Gerard said.

A daughter of impressive winning race mare Marsh Harbour (Volksraad), Salt Bay was selected as a yearling by Paul Moroney and purchased for $25,000 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale, from the draft of Westbury Stud, with the pedigree since receiving a boost through the deeds of her year older sister Swampland (Redwood).

Purchased a year beforehand for $82,500 by Victorian trainer Henry Dwyer, Swampland raced to four wins in short time before finishing second in the Let’s Elope Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) at Flemington, and in doing so gave the family a decent lift.

Mike Moroney said: “I have seen Swampland racing at Flemington and this filly is the spitting image of her. She is the same colour and size to her winning sister, just a real likeness.”

It comes as no real surprise that their dam, Marsh Harbour, has been able to leave athletic progeny with a good turn of foot, as she displayed plenty of talent in winning three of her 10 starts and included a second in the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m). Marsh Harbour is a three-quarter sister to Ginner Hart (Volksraad), a Group Three winner and Group One placed.

Salt Bay was strapped by Archie Hazlett.