By Matt Markham
Not all that long ago, Bruce Taylor wasn’t sure what the future held for Hopeful Harriet.
The daughter of Shark Gesture had won once and placed on half a dozen occasions from 16 starts for Mark Fuller – her victory coming courtesy of a promotion in her debut race at Timaru.
Fuller informed Taylor that he thought he’d done as much as he could with the mare and so Taylor and co-owner Marg Evans, had a decision to make.
“We had three options; Manawatu, Gore or the beach,” he recalled.
The choice became the beach and Hopeful Harriet was transferred into the stable of Regan Todd – and there’s been no looking back since.
And on Sunday, at Blenheim, the dour little mare claimed her biggest scalp when she wore down Alta Orlando to win the Peter Yealands Wines Marlborough Cup in the hands of Robbie Close.
“It’s a great thrill and we are very grateful for the job that Regan and his team have done with her,” Taylor said.
Hopeful Harriet has now won five races and placed on 11 occasions for stakes of $40,000 and judging by her performances on Sunday, she’s a long way from being finished too.
In a small, six horse field, there was the potential for things to turn into a procession when Alta Orlando found the front inside the final lap, but Close threw caution to the wind and refused to lie down without a fight.
He sent Hopeful Harriet up to eyeball the $1.20 favourite and was given plenty from the mare in front of him as she ground her way to victory in a two-horse battle that lasted for close to 800 metres.
“I thought if we sat back we might have been able to run second,” Close said.
“But by getting up outside Johnny (John Dunn) we were able to make sure it didn’t just turn into a sprint home and give ourselves a better chance at winning.”
It proved to be the winning of the race as Hopeful Harriet gain the upper advantage halfway down the Waterlea straight before going on to win by half a length.
It was Closes’ second Cup victory after he drove Mac’s Creation to victory for Hayley Morgan in the 2015 Northland Cup at Ruakaka.
Hopeful Harriet will likely now be aimed at the Amberley Cup in a fortnight before potentially the Hororata Cup.
The Country Cups Final at Methven is also on the radar.
Ken Barron picked up his 500th training success on Sunday at Blenheim when Runaway Three was successful.
Barron, who started in partnership with long-time supporter, John Lischner before going out on his own and then teaming up with his brother, Tony this season.
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