By Garrick Knight
The old adage that a change is as good as a holiday rung true at Ashburton on Sunday.
It was there that former two-year-old Group 1 winner Renezmae made a return to the winner’s circle for the first time in 17 months.
The pint-sized daughter of The Pres was having her first start for beach trainer Regan Todd, who admitted post-race to being a little surprised by the ease of her six-length win.
“She went bloody good today, I thought.
“I thought she’d race well but that definitely surprised us a bit. She really showed a bit of ‘lick’.”
In the hands of Todd’s stable driver, Robbie Close, Renezmae sat last of the nine horses throughout before angling widest at the top of the straight and letting down with a superb sprint.
Former trainer Jack Harrington sent Renezmae out to Todd at Woodend Beach after another disappointing effort, at Rangiora on August 11.
“I’ve probably had her a month and we’ve just played around with her,” said Todd.
“We started from scratch and gave her completely different training to what she was used to.
“That sort of thing, with a change of scenery, can often pick them up.
“Jack said she wasn’t half-pie going any good and he basically got to the end of the line with her.
“He felt she was too good a horse not to try something with so that’s why he rung me.”
It didn’t take Todd long to realise he had the basis of a nice horse to work with.
“She’s gotten better and better since she arrived and the last few weeks has worked like a nice horse.
“I took her down to the Geraldine trials last week thinking we were going to Methven today and she trialed well.”
Renezmae is now a rating 69 and a return to Addington is most likely.
“She’s up in the ratings a bit and I thought she was probably a bit hard done by being a 64 before today despite not winning for so long.
“So, we can’t get too excited because now we’ll have to give her a go against the better ones.”
Todd has made a typical impressive start to the season with five winners on the board already, including a double to Friday night winner Lets Hustle.
“Things are going bloody good at the moment.
“We’ve got 25 in work and some good clientele behind them so it’s exciting times.”
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