She has a number of false starts on her score card but trainer Clark Barron has never gave up hope on Washington VC mare Omaggio.
“One day we thought she’d get it right. We had her in the Ladyship at Invercargill and she ran a very good third,” he said.
Yesterday’s Ladyship final at Winton was a tough ask with outstanding filly Better’s Tart, Wattlebank Star and Seventh Heaven among the opposition. But the four year old showed her toughness and took out the $12,000 feature.
“The harder the run the better and that’s what happened today. Perhaps the weather helped us a wee bit and a few of the favourites had hard runs. The slowest part of the race was the last bit and we knew she’d keep going.”
Omaggio is out of ten win mare Whanau whose wins include the 2002 Group One Nevele R Fillies Final. Whanau’s best foal has been Mabrook which won twenty races – nineteen in Australia.
“She (Omaggio) was very slow to mature. All the rest of Whanau’s progeny showed something as late two year olds or three year olds. Although Omaggio had ability we just had to wait on her.”
Barron said Whanau had to be put down during lockdown last year.
“She got a bad parrot mouth and the condition fell off her. Her last foal is a colt by Always B Miki.”
Today’s win was Omaggio’s first in ten starts.
“It’s quite a good maiden win when it’s a $12,000 race. She’ll just race through the grades now.”
Omaggio is raced by Miracle Lodge which consist of Barron and Eric Parr. Barron is credited with introducing the idea of Ladyship Finals to the province so it was fitting that a horse he trained won the fillies and mares feature today.
“He (Parr) raced gallopers and we were talking and he told me they could win a maiden race and then have a crack at a $20,000 race. That’s how I got the idea for these races. We’re not racing for that much though.”
Barron says the concept has also found favour with punters.
“These races are always the best betting races on the day.”
Barron’s daughter Ellie drove Omaggio.
Meanwhile Branxholme trainer Alister Black uncovered another quality horse when he produced first starter Keep On Dreaming to win the PGG Wrightson Mobile easily by two and a half lengths.
Owned by Lindsay and Ian Thomson the three year old looks like Southern Supremacy Stakes material.
Bruce Stewart