Connections were extremely confident, and Punters kept loading onto LOVELY THOUGHTS on Saturday at the Tuncurry-Forster race meeting and our Jason Deamer trained mare didn’t look like letting the team down, as she cruised around in not much more than an exhibition gallop to claim the winner’s cheque over the 2150m trip in Race 2, the Mid Coast Automotive Group Class 1 & Maiden Plate.
Smashed in the betting from $2.40 into $1.12 before easing 4 cents late in betting to start at $1.16, it was easy watching for connections as their mare recorded Back-to-Back Wins.
Jockey Ben Looker had an effortless ride to steer the mare around a couple of tiring speed humps at the 700m mark and then our dynamic duo waved goodbye to their peers to jog, trot and canter to the winning post.
LOVELY THOUGHTS (57.0kgs) ($1.16) to record a 9.82 lengths winning margin over the runner-up Titanicus (56.0kgs) ($9.50) with Bidgee Elly (53.0kgs) ($26.0) finishing in third place beaten 10.76 lengths.
Hoofnote: The Winning Margin of 9.82 lengths is officially the biggest winning margin recorded at the Tuncurry - Forster racetrack, eclipsing the previous biggest margin of 7.0 lengths set by "THE CONDOR" in 2010. There has been 64 meetings held at the track in the past decade, hosting 414 races involving 2,918 starters.
Prior to the race, a severe thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning hit the course as the riders were behind the barriers and with safety at the forefront of steward’s minds, the riders and horses were sent back to the tie-up stalls until the storm past.
The race was delayed approximately 45 minutes, and during that time the track downgraded to a Heavy 9 and the rain continued to fall.
An original field of 9 runners, there were two scratchings prior to 7:30am, however the downgrade of the track resulted in another two scratchings, leaving a field of only 5 runners to head back out to the barriers.
Typical of the personality of our wonderful horseman and great mate, trainer Jason Deamer, he had another Dynamic Syndications runner in HARD TO SAY racing at Randwick in the Gr3 Liverpool City Cup 1300m (finished 3rd) and LOVELY THOUGHTS heading up to Tuncurry. Jason went to Tuncurry to ensure everything went to plan there.
With the race changing shape after the late scratchings, Jason asked our jockey Ben Looker to just ride a conservative event for the first part, and from the 700m start to move forward and make it a true staying event.
The race panned out beautifully. LOVELY THOUGHTS jumped away cleanly and rolled to the lead, then two other horses pushed up allowing Ben to grab hold of our mare as those runners put on a bit of tempo.
Going past the winning post the first time, the field had strung out into single file with LOVELY THOUGHTS slotted into third spot 6-lengths off the leader Currency Queen, who was leading by 2-lengths over Titanticus with 2-lengths back to LOVELY THOUGHTS, and a gap back to the other two runners.
Currency Queen headed down the back straight into the teeth of the driving rain and increased the tempo to have the field well strung out.
Passing the 900m, Ben allowed LOVELY THOUGHTS a little rein and the Dynamic Duo moved forward to be tagging the leader and second horse as they ran down the side of the track.
Passing the 700m, LOVELY THOUGHTS was allowed to amble up 3-deep to eyeball the leader who was immediately under pressure. Ben kept rolling and by the 600m was in front as the field began their swing into the home straight.
All the opposition were off the bit struggling at the distance and in the heavy ground, but LOVELY THOUGHTS was giggling as stride by stride the margin was effortlessly increasing.
At the 150m marker LOVELY THOUGHTS was called as being 15 lengths in front, and Ben was able to just sit-up and steer his way to the line to post the dominant margin.
LOVELY THOUGHTS (NZ) is a 4yo Mare by SO YOU THINK (NZ) from LOVETRISTA, who has advanced her career record to: 7 Starts: 2 Wins, 1 Second, 0 Thirds, 3 Fourths and $44,750 including 2 BOBS Extra Bonuses.
Whilst she is learning her craft, and getting the foundation fitness into her legs, we had decided to pick-off the low hanging fruit in country class, however we remain convinced at distances beyond 2000m, the further she goes, the better she will be, and there are some lovely better class staying events for our mare to aim at in the autumn and winter period now knowing that she loves wet ground.
Job Done!
CONGRATULATIONS to the Ownership Team that race LOVELY THOUGHTS: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr P J Woollett, Mrs A T Woollett, Mr G E Smith, Mr A Cranes, Mr J A Roberts, JackJ5 Racing, Mr R N Thompson, Mr M D Shaw, Mr L J McCormack, Mr L Slade, Mrs P Smith, Southern Land Properties, Mrs T Roberts, Dynamic no. 131, Dynamic no. 132, Mr A M Bowe
Lovely Thoughts - Winner 2.3.24 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.
This win by LOVELY THOUGHTS was DYNAMIC SYNDICATIONS 872nd Race Win overall.
Also, it was our 44th Race Win for the current racing season.
Onwards and Upwards – Forever Forwards!