AURORA DOLCE WINS ON FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Freshened since a health issue in July, Aurora Dolce (4 m Super Easy – Luna Dolce, by Keeper) won the $12,000 Comag Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres on the first day of spring (1 September) at Matamata.

Racing solidly and rating a top three chance in the Maiden 1400 metres on 10 July at Te Rapa, Aurora Dolce had the misfortune of suffering a cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and co-trainer Pam Gerard elected to give her time out.

“She’d lightened up, appeared tired, and not her normal self, so we put her out for a fortnight and then carried on back in training,” Gerard said.

“She’d put on weight and the week delay of racing has helped. She’s improved every day, recently, in the coat, and despite a shortage of galloping she hardly blew afterwards today. So the fitness levels have remained.

“I think a slightly better track helped her too and also being on the fresher side. Back to 1200 metres, she settled and I’d taken the visor blinkers off because I thought she was going too hard with them on.”

Ridden by the champion jockey from last season Danielle Johnson, Aurora Dolce drew awkwardly (9), received a nice drag from eighth nearing the 600m, and had the fortitude to quicken best down the outside.

For the mare recently turned four, who never really put a foot wrong in eight starts registering three placed efforts as a three-year-old, it was due reward.

“Danielle (Johnson) said she did everything right and really deserved the win,” Gerard said. “She said she loafed a bit when she reached the leaders, but got going again, and I thought she timed it pretty well in the end.

“She got their quite quickly, cruised up, but just loafed without the blinkers on. She’ll gain confidence from that, especially after being knocked over a few times earlier in her career which doesn’t help.”

Aurora Dolce held sway in betting to return $2.80 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote, after running the 1200 metres in 1:14.4 on Slow8 footing.

“It was a good effort and hopefully we’ve got a filly that can go on with it,” said syndicate manager Brian de Lore, who secured the $3.80 fixed odds price with the TAB a day beforehand.

“There’s 20 family and friends in Aurora Dolce and I think we’ll all have a nice celebration.

“We’ve been a bit unlucky not to have won already, because she’s been denied room at vital times. But we’ve got a win on the board and I think there’s improvement in her. She’s only had one decent gallop since fibrillating at Te Rapa.

“Interestingly, after that happened I was speaking to Mike (Moroney) and he told me that in 40 years of training he’s had about 15-odd horses suffer a heart fibrillation and about three-quarters of them had won their next start. So, it seems to have no ongoing effects.

“She’s out of a Keeper (Danehill) mare and that breed like to get their toe into the ground. I raced the mother, who showed ability but went in the wind after winning so we retired her. Aurora Dolce is her first foal and Luna Dolce is due to foal to Ragesse (Street Cry).

“Luna Dolce was quite a big mare, 16.2hh, and I chose Super Easy (Darci Brahma) because he wasn’t too big and he had a nice turn-of-foot.

“I bought Luna Dolce as a yearling in the K2 (Select) sale off Sir Patrick Hogan. The grand-dam is by Zabeel (Sir Tristram) and third dam Best Image (Try My Best) left Brisbane Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m) winner Dupain (Sir Tristram). I’ve always liked the family and Luna Dolce was a nice type, so I’ve stuck with her.”

Aurora Dolce was strapped by Harri Singh.